The Sheriff and the Soap Star “The Best Soap Opera in San Francisco”
(Part Two)
“Protests, Ex-Girlfriends, Emails, and Video Tape“
On January 8, Ross Mirkarimi was sworn as the Sheriff of San Francisco County. Superior Court Judge Katherine Feinstein was to do the public honors, but bowed out amid Mirkarimi’s legal troubles. January 13, Sheriff Mirkarimi was arrested
for with three misdemeanor counts, including battery, child endangerment, and attempting to dissuade a witness. Sheriff Mirkarimi was barred from going home or seeing his wife and three-year-old son, Theo. The official court date is Feb 24
The Arrest Warrant
Eliana Lopez Speaks
On January 18, The wife of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi told a Venezuelan radio station Tuesday that spousal abuse charges against her husband are part of a contrived political hit job involving “the richest people in California.” “There’s a lot of special interests that won’t forgive my husband for being a progressive, for being a child of immigrants married to a Latina, and for being in a position of power as the sheriff,” Lopez told Noticias24 during the 20-minute interview.
Lopez insisted she was no victim of domestic violence, telling listeners, “I’m not the little Indian girl victim of the gringo.” Lopez expressed confidence that her husband would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Good Neighbor Policy
On New Years Eve (2011) Attorney Ivory Madison, their neighbor and support and fund raiser for Ross Mirkarimi made the initial call to San Francisco Police. Ms Madison filmed (with Ms Lopez approval) for proof of her injuries. On the tape is Ms Lopez’s account of the evening. One the tape obtained by the police for the District Attorneys office shows her pointing at the bruises and explaining “That such violence had occurred two times in
20ii and the New Years Eve incident is the second time this has happened.
On the video, “ I have been telling him he needs help” ” And I’m going to use this just in case he wants to take Theo away from me because he said he is very powerful and he could do it:
Ms Lopez spoke in from of another neighbor and exchanged text messages.
Since reporting the crime Mrs Madison has been the subject of several personal attacks.
She questioned the motives of the neighbor who called police about the alleged abuse, Ivory Madison.
When asked about Mrs Madison’s motive Eliana Lopez said ,“We’re suspicious of her motives in calling the police four days after I talked to her about having a discussion with my husband — which wasn’t even a fight, nothing like that, it was a discussion like all couples have,”
Who’s behind Door Number Two?
January 24, Ross’s Mirkarimi former girlfriend and television host Christina Flores, told San Francisco Police Mirkarimi alleged abusive behavior was not an isolated occurrence. (The two dated before the Sheriff met his wife.
Several times,(She told the SF Chronicle reporter) she said, he went on verbal tirades – “throwing tantrums, yelling in your face.”Only one time, she said, did his anger turn physical. She said she doesn’t remember the details about the argument that led to the alleged attack, but does recall that her left arm was bruised. “He never punched me, never hit me,” Flores said. “But he grabbed my arm and pushed me against the wall, yelling. This person is very much a pit bull and a bully.”
On January 27, Judge Susan Breall said Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi deserved no special treatment in his domestic violence case, a judge refused Thursday to modify the protective order barring him from seeing his wife or son. The judge said there had been no changed circumstances since she imposed the protective order last week, and that Mirkarimi’s case would be held to the same standard as other domestic violence cases. “I know that Sheriff Mirkarimi would not want to have any special treatment just because he’s the sheriff,” Breall said. She suggested Mirkarimi petition a family court for supervised visitation.
“I’m incredibly disappointed, to say the least,” Mirkarimi said outside court. “This has been enormously crushing, the fact that I haven’t been able to see my family, be with my wife or be with my son. This is disproportionately cruel and I will continue to commit to fight this.”
January 30, In a press conference, San Francisco District Attorney alleged, after battering his wife in front of their young child, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi then isolated his wife to keep her from reporting the abuse, be she escaped at her first chance.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Aguilar Tarchi wrote in a motion that Lopez confided in Madison at the first available opportunity. Lopez threatened to call police after the incident and Mirkarimi apologized and asked her not to. Lopez was the isolated in the apartment with her batterer unitl she found an opportunity to visit her friend and neighbor.
Ripping off the BandAid
Despite many calls in the community for the Sheriff to resign Ross Mirkarimi is holding tight. He he repeated said he is not guilty. He is reportedly living with former Mayor, Art Agnos.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee was questioned whether embattled Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi can effectively do his job while fighting misdemeanor charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident with his wife.
“The sheriff has got to serve the people of San Francisco. I think the question for him now is whether he can do that with this distraction that’s going on, (these) very serious charges, City Hall. “I’ve said time and time again, I think these are serious charges and serious court proceedings that have to happen. … I question how it is that one can do both full time, as serious as they are.”
Lee stopped short of calling for Mirkarimi, who was sworn in as sheriff this month, to take a leave of absence. The mayor, who has the power to suspend an elected officeholder for official misconduct and initiate removal proceedings
I want to see my family!
San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi will return to court on Friday (2/3/12) to try again to modify a court order preventing him from contacting his wife or son because of an alleged domestic violence incident on New Year’s Eve
Cityfella
Posted on February 2, 2012