SAN FRANCISCO: Ross Mirkarimi to keep job, supes decide

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/10/12 | Heather Knight and John Coté

[SmithL]

In a shocking end to the melodrama that has consumed San Francisco City Hall for the past nine months, the Board of Supervisors bucked Mayor Ed Lee late Tuesday night by giving suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi his job back.

Four members of the board rejected Lee's call that Mirkarimi be permanently removed for committing official misconduct, an allegation that stemmed from a New Year's Eve fight with his wife for which he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of false imprisonment.

Lee needed nine of the 11 supervisors' votes to oust Mirkarimi. Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos, Jane Kim and - in a major blow to Lee - the mayor's appointee, Christina Olague, voted to reinstate Mirkarimi.

As soon as the vote became official, the crowd of Mirkarimi supporters in City Hall burst into whoops, cheers and applause. Domestic violence victims advocates looked downcast and made a beeline for the exit.

[SmithL]

There are no good guys here, but Lee was clearly making up his own rules, so it's good that he's been reigned in, somewhat.

[NormsRevenge]

7-4.. hope the Giants score a few more today too..

What can you expect from a city that has gutter snipe leading it?

[Navy Patriot]

It is impossible for a leftist, progressive, Marxist, Communist, Fascist, homosexual, bicyclist or anarchist to commit a crime in San Francisco.

It is a laugh riot to watch two commies get into it here, and the fruit and nut public realization that one commie should go down for it.

What to do? What to do?

[SeaHawkFan]

Can you just imagine how much dirt the sheriff has on the board members?

[Vendome]

absolutely.

Lee stepped over the line on this and got nothing for it.

[Liz]

Mugshot

WIKI From 2005-12, Mirkarimi served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing District 5. Mirkarimi is a marijuana legalization advocate, and co-founder of the Green Party of California. He left the Green Party in March 2010 to become a Democrat. Mirkarimi garnered national attention when he introduced the first legislation prohibiting the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by large supermarkets and drugstores in 2007, making San Francisco the first city to do so. Later, other cities around the US and the world took up similar bans.

Mirkarimi, of Iranian (father) Russian Jewish (mother) descent, served on the California Coastal Commission from 2009 to 2011. On April 20, 2006, he was awarded NORML'sRufus King award, given annually for leadership in the reform of marijuana laws.

On January 13, 2012, Mirkarimi was charged with domestic violence battery, child endangerment, and dissuading a witness in connection with a New Year's Eve altercation with his wife----a Venezuelan immigrant. While jury selection was underway, Mirkarimi entered into a plea agreement with the DA, pleading guilty to one count of misdemeanor false imprisonment. On March 20, 2012, Mayor Ed Lee suspended Mirkarimi pending an ethics investigation.

[SmithL]

Until today, he has never served as sheriff. The alleged domestic violence occurred between his election and swearing-in.