Domestic Violence

Another Civil Servant Accused of Domestic Violence

A Japanese diplomat based in San Francisco has been accused of not being so diplomatic when he allegedly beat his wife repeatedly, pushed her out of a car, and knocked her tooth out. According to press reports, 32-year-old Yoshiaki Nagaya, a San Bruno resident, appeared in court yesterday to answer ... More >>

How the Sheriff Came to This: Mirkarimi's Worst Decisions

A Japanese diplomat based in San Francisco has been accused of not being so diplomatic when he allegedly beat his wife repeatedly, pushed her out of a car, and knocked her tooth out. According to press reports, 32-year-old Yoshiaki Nagaya, a San Bruno resident, appeared in court yesterday to answer ... More >>

Domestic Violence Groups Feature Ross Mirkarimi Quote in Spanish Billboards

​It doesn't matter how many times Ross Mirkarimi apologizes for his "arrogance and anger issues," women in San Francisco aren't ready to forgive -- or forget. And it will be hard for the now-suspended sheriff to forget his troubles as long as there are these billboards up to remind him of what he' ... More >>

Mayor Ed Lee Suspends Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, Files Misconduct Charges

​Mayor Ed Lee officially charged Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi with misconduct today, stating the elected official's conduct "is fundamentally incompatible with holding the Office of Sheriff."Lee  took a kitchen sink approach with the charges, rattling off several ways in which Mirkarimi's actions a ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Apologizes for "Arrogance and Anger Issues"

​It was a strange and imposing sight for unsuspecting passersby making a hard left out of the Hall of Justice's third floor elevator: A throng of reporters three rows deep blockading the corridor.Reporters and photographers aimed their gazes and lenses squarely on the elevator entrance-way, eagerl ... More >>

Domestic Violence Groups Ask Mayor Ed Lee to Boot Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi from His Post

​Prosecutors might have let Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi off the hook with charges of abusing his wife, but women's groups across San Francisco aren't quite so ready to forgive. Today, a coalition of anti-domestic violence groups will march to City Hall, demanding that Mayor Ed Lee boot Mirkarimi from h ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi May Have Scuttled Own Plea Deal with Comments to Press

​San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón raised the possibility that his office might back out of a plea deal in the domestic-violence case against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi today, citing indications from Mirkarimi and his friends that he does not believe he is actually guilty of the misdemean ... More >>

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Pleads Guilty, Stay Away Order Still in Effect

​(Update 1:30 p.m): Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi pleaded guilty this afternoon to one misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors dropped all three charges against the embattled sheriff in connection to his domestic violence case that stunned the San Francisco community. ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: Dead Politician Walking

​Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi's belated decision to accept a plea deal ends the increasingly lurid trial surrounding his alleged New Year's Eve manhandling of his wife. If Mirkarimi is hoping to keep any further testimony regarding who's been hiding whose panties in his house or affidavits question ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Trial: Wife's Video Displaying Bruises Admissable in Court

​A Judge ruled this morning that the video Sheriff  Ross Mirkarimi's wife made with a neighbor detailing the sheriff's alleged physical abuse will be allowed as evidence. This, of course, is a huge victory for the prosecution, which has stated that without this scathing video -- which reveals ... More >>

Domestic Violence Billboard with Ross Mirkarimi Quote up for Everyone to See

You might notice a new billboard on the corner of Harrison and 10th streets during your commute today -- you may even recognize a face on it. A local domestic violence group unveiled its new Ross Mirkarimi-inspired billboard Thursday afternoon, which references Sheriff Mirkarimi's disturbing quote ... More >>

Officer Richard Soares Charged with Assaulting Woman he Dated

​Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi isn't the only local law enforcer being charged with domestic violence. District Attorney George Gascón announced today that he is bringing charges against Richard Soares, a San Francisco police officer, for allegedly assaulting a woman at a party while he was off-duty.On ... More >>

Domestic Violence Billboard Featuring Mirkarimi Quote to Go Up Next Week

​If ever there were a clear indication of how San Franciscans feel about Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi's domestic violence case, this is it. In less than a week, a local domestic violence group was able to rake in the $4,000 it needed for a billboard that will feature Mirkarimi's infamous quote he uttere ... More >>

Domestic Violence Group to Feature Ross Mirkarimi Quote on Billboard

La Casa De Las Madres​When Ross Mirkarimi was elected sheriff, he had ambitious plans to influence the criminal justice system, although this billboard to the right probably isn't what he had in mind. However, after being charged with battery, endangering a child, and dissuading a witness, La Casa ... More >>

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Isolated His Wife, Prosecutors Say

​The case against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is looking grimmer after prosecutors filed a motion in court today claiming the sheriff isolated his wife for more than 18 hours after he allegedly abused her during a domestic dispute. Mirkarimi has been accused of physically abusing his wife, Eliana Lopez ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi's Lawyer: Sheriff Is "Bit of a Tyrant"

​If Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was hoping to recast himself as a loving husband as part of his defense against domestic violence charges, his attorney, Robert Waggener, isn't doing anything to help paint that picture.  As the Chron notes today, Waggener, in front of a throng of cameras and report ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi's New Domestic Violence Complaint Could Loom Large in Pending Trial

​It's most certainly bad news for Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi that the question "Which one?" now applies to domestic violence complaints filed against him. And though the police report filed over the weekend by a woman accusing Mirkarimi of shaking her and pinning her against the wall comes years ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Update: Prosecutors Read Alleged Text Messages from Wife, Judge Issues Stay Away Order

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi appears in court ... for his own hearing​Update: (4:41 p.m.): Judge Susan Breall issues stay away order, barring Sheriff from seeing his family. Meanwhile, prosecutors read Eliana Lopez's text messages in court. Read updated story below.Original story: Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Update: Sheriff Goes "Ballistic" During Fight with Wife, Warrant Says

​Police Interview Second Witness In Domestic Violence Incident A copy of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi's arrest warrant was released to the media today, painting a disturbing picture of what allegedly took place between Mirkarimi and his wife, Eliana Lopez, during a reported New Year's Eve domestic dispu ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Update: Domestic Violence Groups Call on Sheriff to Resign

​Update 2:25 p.m.: Staff writer Joe Eskenazi was at City Hall and gave us a puzzling detail about this afternoon's press conference: Mirkarimi's wife, Eliana Lopez, stood in the crowd among reporters and anti-domestic violence advocates who were calling on her husband to resign as sheriff. Eskenaz ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi's Wife Attends Anti-Ross Mirkarimi Rally

​A hastily assembled press conference pairing members of the media with greater numbers of anti-domestic violence advocates calling for the resignation of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was graced by an odd visitation -- Mirkarimi's wife. Eliana Lopez stood, literally, on the steps of City Hall with membe ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Shocks Legal Scholars With Claim That Abuse Allegations Are "a Family Matter"

​Ross Mirkarimi is innocent. Of course he is -- he is innocent until proven guilty. It remains to be seen if District Attorney George Gascón will even  charge the sheriff with domestic abuse following a police report filed by Mirkarimi's neighbor. Regardless, the language Mirkarimi has used ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Update: Allegations of Abuse "Out of Context." Say What?

Luke Thomas, Fog City JournalLa famille Mirkarimi​There was, understandably, much talk about the awkwardness of Ross Mirkarimi's Sunday inauguration as San Francisco sheriff. The progressive stalwart and former supervisor is facing allegations of domestic abuse; if things go badly for him he could ... More >>

San Carlos Woman in Jail After Allegedly Stabbing Ex-Boyfriend's Pet Lizard to Death

Little man survives DV dispute​Update (10:30 a.m.): Sadly, the man's pet lizard died. Sometimes domestic disputes involve children and other times they involve pets. A San Carlos woman is in jail after she had it out with her ex-boyfriend and took a knife to his pet lizard. Police arrested 37-year ... More >>

S.F.P.D. Officers Finally Have E-Mail, But Department Still Lags in Tech

Little man survives DV dispute​Update (10:30 a.m.): Sadly, the man's pet lizard died. Sometimes domestic disputes involve children and other times they involve pets. A San Carlos woman is in jail after she had it out with her ex-boyfriend and took a knife to his pet lizard. Police arrested 37-year ... More >>

In San Francisco, Elder Abuse Is the Perfect Crime

Yes, that's a crime​If you rob or beat up an elderly person in San Francisco, your chances of being convicted are fewer than one in 100, according to data in a recent city report on how local law enforcement addresses family violence."It couldn't be better if you're a predator," said Prescott Cole ... More >>

Will Julius Turman's Domestic Violence Case Hurt His Chances of Becoming S.F. Police Commissioner?

Julius Turman ​It's fair to assume every politician has skeletons in the closet -- Eliot Spitzer and his prostitute, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his lovechild.And then there is Julius Turman, a local lawyer, ambitious community activist, and a fixture in the Castro's gay community. While Turman isn' ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Julius Turman ​It's fair to assume every politician has skeletons in the closet -- Eliot Spitzer and his prostitute, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his lovechild.And then there is Julius Turman, a local lawyer, ambitious community activist, and a fixture in the Castro's gay community. While Turman isn' ... More >>

California Family Courts Helping Pedophiles, Batterers Get Child Custody

Julius Turman ​It's fair to assume every politician has skeletons in the closet -- Eliot Spitzer and his prostitute, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his lovechild.And then there is Julius Turman, a local lawyer, ambitious community activist, and a fixture in the Castro's gay community. While Turman isn' ... More >>

Fiona Ma Targets Domestic Violence Among Teens

Nothing glamorous about violence.​What we know about the 2009 gang rape of a Richmond High School student at prom is that it's not an isolated event. Domestic violence among teens is on the rise, and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) is attempting to draw attention to this disturbing trend. ... More >>

Jeff Adachi, San Francisco's Public Defender, Wins 71 Percent of Domestic Violence Trials

A convincing man​Jeff Adachi might not have convinced voters to pass pension reform last year, but he is certainly proving he's good at persuading juries in the courtroom. A new report suggests that the public defender won 48 percent of his cases last year -- an increase for the third year in a ro ... More >>

Moby Donates Cali Revenue to Domestic Violence Shelters

​Moby has to be one of the world's richest DJs--all those years licensing Play to every audio and visual outlet possible literally paid off. So when he hits the road now, he can choose to make his money count--by, for example, donating big chunks of it to needy non-profits.When the bald producer h ... More >>

Givin' Back to Cali

​Moby has to be one of the world's richest DJs--all those years licensing Play to every audio and visual outlet possible literally paid off. So when he hits the road now, he can choose to make his money count--by, for example, donating big chunks of it to needy non-profits.When the bald producer h ... More >>

Asylum for Battered Women -- a Question Raised by a San Francisco Case a Decade Ago -- Gets Obama Administration as an Advocate

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has paved the way for battered women from countries where such abuse is widely accepted to be granted asylum in the United States. The DHS declared its opinion in a court filing of an asylum case of a Mexican woman only referred as L.R., who was denied by a ... More >>

News You Can Use: No, Virginia, There Is No Increase in Domestic Violence on Super Bowl Sunday

Put on a shirt and keep your hands to yourself!Every year around this time, you hear two sickening things about the Super Bowl: A nationwide halftime stampede to the toilet overwhelms local sewage plants;A nationwide orgy of beer-drinking and high-stakes football induces a cavalcade of domestic viol ... More >>

Jury Acquits Man Who Bit Partner's Forehead

On November 11, the San Francisco Police Department responded to a call from a gay man who said his partner had abused him. When police arrived and found Bejamin Schalit, 50, with crescent-shaped bite marks on his forehead, they arrested the partner, Jeremy Womack, 33, and the district att ... More >>

Politics didn't play into decision not to prosecute domestic violence case, DA says

On November 11, the San Francisco Police Department responded to a call from a gay man who said his partner had abused him. When police arrived and found Bejamin Schalit, 50, with crescent-shaped bite marks on his forehead, they arrested the partner, Jeremy Womack, 33, and the district att ... More >>

Home Life in Hell

An abusive marriage crumbles to pieces in the riveting Take My Eyes

Best Batterer Betterer

Hamish Sinclair

Founder, Manalive

The Last Hope

A new law gives one more chance at freedom to abused women sent to prison for killing their batterers

General Excellence

Groundbreaking programs at San Francisco General Hospital may well change the way the entire U.S. health care system deals with domestic violence. To understand why, you have to understand Dr. Beth Kaplan.

Shelter from the Storm

Should the U.S. give asylum to victims of domestic violence? A Mission District woman's case may help decide that question.

Letters to the Editor

Got It; Got It; Didn't Get It; Female Cracker Morons Who Maim; Ounce of Prevention; Our Apologies, John; The Oddest Clarification We've Published This Year

The Land of Blood & Money

Foreign workers coming into the country for high-paying tech jobs often bring wives with them. When these women are beaten and abused, they have nowhere to run.

Letters

Foreign workers coming into the country for high-paying tech jobs often bring wives with them. When these women are beaten and abused, they have nowhere to run.

Glass Slipper Sister

Foreign workers coming into the country for high-paying tech jobs often bring wives with them. When these women are beaten and abused, they have nowhere to run.

Cothran

Foreign workers coming into the country for high-paying tech jobs often bring wives with them. When these women are beaten and abused, they have nowhere to run.

Cant Help Loving That Man

The Sirens probes the dark mystery of why women stay with abusive husbands

Aisle Seat

The Sirens probes the dark mystery of why women stay with abusive husbands

Casualties of War

Babies get burned on the battlefield of love in Ladybird