Ross Mirkarimi

Extracurricular Activities: Public Servant Misconduct in 2012

Petition Circulates Asking Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to Resign

An organized recall effort might have fizzled a bit, but the desire to see Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi booted from office is still very much alive. Anti-Ross folks launched a petition today demanding the embattled sheriff voluntarily step down from his post as the county's top cop. Backers say they are ... More >>

Mayor Ed Lee Is Still Ignoring Sheriff Mirkarimi's Letter

So much for mending fences. Ed Lee, the consensus building mayor, has yet to respond to a letter Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi sent him two weeks ago outright refusing to recuse himself from domestic violence matters. Mirkarimi's letter details his response to both the mayor and District Attorney George ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Can Relax, Effort to Recall Sheriff Isn't Gaining Momentum

The effort to recall Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi isn't happening -- at least not anytime soon. The Democratic County Central Committee had been considering moving ahead with a recall, but this week, it decided to scrap those plans, especially since it's been hard to find a financial backer to shell out t ... More >>

Facebook Page Created for Women Who Don't "Like" Ross Mirkarimi

Ross Mirkarimi is quickly settling back into his post as sheriff, registering inmates to vote, and generally trying to get everyone to forget about his nine-month political and family drama with his wife. But Erica Sedlander, a UC Berkeley graduate student, isn't letting the sheriff off so easy; she ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Gets Prisoners to Vote

We got a little glimpse of what Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has been doing now that he's back on the job: registering inmates to vote. And why shouldn't he want this, considering it was San Francisco prisoners who vociferously backed the embattled sheriff during his domestic violence drama that nearly co ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

We got a little glimpse of what Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi has been doing now that he's back on the job: registering inmates to vote. And why shouldn't he want this, considering it was San Francisco prisoners who vociferously backed the embattled sheriff during his domestic violence drama that nearly co ... More >>

Police Union Ditches Christina Olague Following Mirkarimi Vote

The San Francisco Police Officer's Association has rescinded its endorsement for Supervisor Christina Olague in the November election after the District 5 rep shocked everyone by voting to give Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi his job back as the county's top cop earlier this week.The Union fired off a s ... More >>

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Gets His Job Back

Ross Mirkarimi got his badge back last night after the Board of Supervisors reinstated him as San Francisco's sheriff. After several hours of public testimony, the board voted 4-7 to give Mirkarimi his job back, claiming the bruise he gave his wife did not amount to official misconduct. Supervisors ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: Supervisors Make Votes Work for Them

Last night, Sheriff-No-Longer-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi told the press that "the system worked in this case." In the end, Mirkarimi was reinstated to his elected position -- but it's hard to describe any "system" that involved nine months of lunacy, nine Ethics Commission hearings, several forests' wo ... More >>

Supervisor Christina Olague Explains Her Vote to Save Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi

The cheers from no-longer-suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi's supporters were still echoing in City Hall when the fallout started hitting Supervisor Christina Olague.Less than 12 hours after casting the crucial vote to give Mirkarimi his job back, she sat inside her City Hall office and read the foll ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi's Fate Could Be Determined Today

After nine months, San Francisco's most readable political drama just might come to an end today when the Board of Supervisors is set to vote on whether or not to boot Ross Mirkarimi from his post as county sheriff. The sheriff-in-limbo could lose his job permanently if nine of the 11 city superviso ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: New Poll Shows S.F. Doesn't Want Him As Sheriff Anymore

Ross Mirkarimi has consistently said that everyone against him is undermining the will of the people, specifically the people who voted him into office in November. But now it's those very people who seem to think he's undermining them. According to a new poll, roughly 61 percent of registered voter ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi, Eliana Lopez Talk About How That Bruise Really Screwed Things Up for Them

Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco's suspended sheriff, has been on an emotional and political roller coaster this year after being elected sheriff, then losing his post -- at least temporarily -- after bruising his wife's arm in a domestic dispute. Now, Mirkarimi and his wife, Eliana Lopez, are trying t ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Will Probably Appeal Commission's Guilty Ruling

Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi says that if the Board of Supervisors decides to permanently boot him from office, he just might appeal the case, according to media outlets.After an all-day meeting last Thursday, the Ethics Commission decided in a 4-1 vote that the sheriff committed official miscond ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: Ethics Commission Says Sheriff Is Guilty of Official Misconduct

San Francisco's Ethics Commission decided Thursday night in a 4-1 vote that Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi engaged in official misconduct when he bruised his wife's arm during a New Year's Eve domestic dispute. After the marathon meeting, which lasted 11 long hours, the commission was still un ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Supporters to Rally at Noon

Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi probably didn't get much sleep last night, as today will the Ethics Commission will decide whether or not the embattled pol will remain our county sheriff or get booted from office, effectively ending his political career in San Francisco.The last leg of the Ethics He ... More >>

Harvey Milk Club Asks Mayor Ed Lee to Leave Ross Mirkarimi Alone Already

Turns out, Tami Bryant and the inmates over at San Francisco County Jail aren't the only ones who want everyone to leave Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi alone.  The Harvey Milk Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club this week passed a resolution demanding Mayor Ed Lee let Mirkari ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Hearing: Eliana Lopez Says She Wan't Abused, She Just Bruises Easily

Eliana Lopez continued her testimony last night, where she denied that her husband, Ross Mirkarimi, abused her during the couple's domestic dispute on New Year's Eve, which ultimately led to Mirkarimi's suspension as the county sheriff. In her testimony, she detailed the New Year's Eve argument in w ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Finally Gets to Kiss His Wife

This morning, suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi embraced his wife Eliana Lopez for the first time in nearly five months after a judge lifted a protective order that had barred the couple from communicating or seeing each other. The court instead issued a modified order, clarifying that ... More >>

S.F. Inmates Say That Bruise Ross Mirkarimi Gave His Wife Is No Misdemeanor

Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi might have lost a friend or two after pleading guilty to false imprisonment in connection to a domestic dispute with his wife, which left her with a bruise on her arm. But, strangely, it's also helped him make some new friends over at the county jail. Perhaps convicte ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Hearing: Suspended Sheriff Testifies Before Ethics Commission

Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi took the stand Thursday evening in his official misconduct hearing, where he again expressed remorse for his "act of violence" against his wife on New Year's Eve.  As expected, Mayor Ed Lee's legal team took the opportunity to dig into Mirkarimi's conviction for ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Admirers Ask Mayor Ed Lee to Back Off Suspended Sheriff

It might be hard to find anyone vocally supporting Ross Mirkarimi right now, but those who are will certainly let you know it. There's a small legion of Ross supporters who are refusing to leave his side as he prepares to testify tomorrow in hopes of getting his job back as San Francisco sheriff. Ta ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Hearing: The Drama From the Eyes of Mirkarimi's iPhone

Ross Mirkarimi's text messages with his wife and campaign manager reveal a more personal side to the drama that has unfolded ever since his Dec. 31 domestic dispute, for which he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor false imprisonment.Publicly released yesterday as evidence in Mirkarimi's Ethics Commission ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: Mayor Says Suspended Sheriff Should Not Have Beaten His Wife

The hearings that will decide whether Ross Mirkarimi is fit to remain as our sheriff began yesterday afternoon with Mayor Ed Lee giving reporters his blunt opinions of Mirkarimi, and let's just say he didn't call him a tyrant. Instead, the mayor went straight for the jugular, using the words "beatin ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi's Text Records Released to Mayor Ed Lee

If you were trying to orchestrate a cover up of your domestic violence, would you be texting your cronies about it?Mayor Ed Lee suspects that Ross Mirkarimi is a texting kind of guy, and his bid to oust the suspended-Sheriff might depend on it. In the week after the dispute where Mirkarimi bruise ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Hearing: Judge Grants Eliana Lopez More Time to Fight City Over Video

Update 2:32 pm: Judge Garrett Wong granted Eliana Lopez's attorney's motion for continuance today. This means she will have more time to prepare her argument that the court should not release to the city the video of Lopez describing an alleged domestic assault by her husband, suspended-Sheriff Ross ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Hearing: City Attorney Releases Initial List of Witnesses to Testify

Mayor Ed Lee's legal strategy to expel suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is taking shape as expected. Today his legal team released an initial list of fact witnesses for the Ethics Commission hearing. The witness list seeks testimony from, among others, Mirkarimi's ex-girlfriend Christina Flores, hi ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Gets Timeline for Pending Hearing -- But Not Answers

A proceeding held before the Ethics Commission today addressed the format of the forthcoming rigmarole to determine the fate of Sheriff-In-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi. If you were a fan of lengthy, procedural discussions broken by lengthy, embittered public comment -- and sealed by setting dates into the s ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Loses Yet Another Battle in Court

Much to nobody's surprise, except perhaps Ross Mirkarimi himself, the embattled sheriff today suffered another setback in his quest to get his job back, leaving his political future officially in the  hands of the city's Ethics Commission. A judge ruled today that it was perfectly legal for May ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: Judge Rules Dennis Herrera Needn't Quit Case

Ross Mirkarimi got more bad news today when a judge denied his request to bar City Attorney Dennis Herrera from representing Mayor Ed Lee in his effort to permanently remove Mirkarimi from his post as sheriff.Here's how Judge Harold Kahn justified his decision:Because the city attorney is representi ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Explains How His Wife Got the Bruise

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi went on KQED's Forum this morning to finally give the public what they want: a detailed account of what happened between him and his wife, Eliana Lopez, on the morning of Dec. 31, 2011.In an emotional interview with Michael Krasny, Mirkarimi, who was suspended last month witho ... More >>

Christina Flores, Mirkarimi's Ex-Girlfriend Who Accused Him of Abuse, Responds to His Radio Interview

Among the many things Sheriff-in-limbo Ross Mirkarimi said on the radio this morning was that his former girlfriend, Christina Flores, had fabricated her story that he abused her while the two dated in 2008."I was looking forward to the trial to really dispel it, though. It was a piling on ... ... More >>

Mayor Ed Lee Had the Right to Suspend Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, City Attorney Says

Misconduct "in office" encompasses the time period after the election, not just after an elected official is sworn-in, according to the city attorney, who released a rebuttal to Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi's request that he should be reinstated as the county sheriff. The 33-page counterattack, f ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Adds Shepard Kopp to Legal Team

Not long ago, Judge Quentin Kopp told SF Weekly he felt Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi would prevail in court based on legal precedent. Like father, like son -- it turns out Mirkarimi today added Shepard "Shep" Kopp alongside David Waggoner to his legal team. Kopp the younger -- who has successfull ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Not long ago, Judge Quentin Kopp told SF Weekly he felt Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi would prevail in court based on legal precedent. Like father, like son -- it turns out Mirkarimi today added Shepard "Shep" Kopp alongside David Waggoner to his legal team. Kopp the younger -- who has successfull ... More >>

Moral Mirkitude: Nixing the Sheriff's Pension Would Be a Feat

Not long ago, Judge Quentin Kopp told SF Weekly he felt Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi would prevail in court based on legal precedent. Like father, like son -- it turns out Mirkarimi today added Shepard "Shep" Kopp alongside David Waggoner to his legal team. Kopp the younger -- who has successfull ... More >>

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

Not long ago, Judge Quentin Kopp told SF Weekly he felt Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi would prevail in court based on legal precedent. Like father, like son -- it turns out Mirkarimi today added Shepard "Shep" Kopp alongside David Waggoner to his legal team. Kopp the younger -- who has successfull ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Challenges Suspension, Files for Reinstatement

​A week after Mayor Ed Lee suspended embattled Ross Mirkarimi from his post as sheriff, Team Mirkarimi has officially returned fire, asking the courts to reinstate Mirkarimi as sheriff. Mirkarimi's lawyer, David Waggoner, filed papers with the Superior Court today charging that Lee stepped outsid ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi: The Deck Is Stacked -- Now

​Sheriff-in-Limbo Ross Mirkarimi's claim that domestic violence charges against him were the result of a conspiracy marshaled by "forces at work that don't want me to become sheriff" was so spectacularly misguided that it either handed those forces all the ammo they could ever use, or did away wit ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Petitions Demand Embattled Sheriff Not Be Fired

​Not everyone wants to see Ross Mirkarimi go down in flames. Despite the fact that even Mirkarimi's closest allies have turned on the newly convicted sheriff, he does have a few friends left.Mirkarimi supporter Tami Bryant doesn't seem to care that the sheriff has spent time in his own county jail ... 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 >>

Progressives Can Abuse Their Wives: A "Guardian" Editorial

​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 >>

Ross Mirkarimi's New Lawyer, David Waggoner, Has Beaten Ethics Commission Repeatedly

​The mayor and city attorney earlier today disseminated their case against suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi -- in writing. It was a curious read; the city attorney has attempted to decouple the notion that "official misconduct" must be committed while "on the job." Lee's assertion is that any elec ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Offered Ultimatum: Quit or Be Fired

​Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi avoided a trial by jury. Will he now survive a trial by ordeal? Mayor Ed Lee has offered Mirkarimi an ultimatum -- either resign by 5 p.m. today or face proceedings to be removed from office. Sources within the city told SF Weekly the sheriff was given this deal during Mond ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Refuses to Resign as Sheriff, Mayor to Charge Him with Official Misconduct

​Despite political pressure and calls within the community for his resignation, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced just now that he will not step down as county sheriff. Mirkarimi told reporters waiting outside his office at City Hall that he believes he is still qualified to run the county jails, d ... More >>

Ross Mirkarimi Sentenced to One Day in Jail, Probation

​Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was sentenced to one day in his own county jail for falsely imprisoning his wife, Eliana Lopez, during a New Year's Eve dispute.  He will get credit for time he has already spent behind bars.Mirkarimi, who was arrested a few days after being sworn in as the new sheriff ... 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 >>

Ross Mirkarimi Plea Crisis Is 'Political Posturing,' Expert Says

​San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón roiled the calming waters in the domestic-violence case against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi yesterday, telling the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle he has doubts about proceeding with a plea bargain struck earlier this week because Mirkarimi ... 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 >>