Not really. Her attorney Douglas Rappaport said She suffers from a benign brain tumor, he said, that has clouded her judgment. “The medical condition contributed to her actions, “There is no other reason she would have taken the merchandise.”
Last October, the Assemblywoman witnessed by store cameras and security guards was arrested outside the Neiman Marcus San Francisco store with nearly $2500 in merchandise. Shortly after her arrest, a spokesman for Hayashi had explained that she was distracted by a cellphone call and forgot to pay for the merchandise.
Friday, Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi plead no contest.
The San Francisco Superior Court judge reduced her charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, crucial for the East Bay lawmaker because she faced possible expulsion from the Assembly if convicted of a felony. She was immediately sentenced to three years’ probation and $180 in fines and court costs. She was also ordered to steer 50 feet clear of the Neiman Marcus in Union Square
Ross Warren, Hayashi’s chief consultant for the Business & Professions committee she heads, said staff members were aware of her medical condition, but there is no indication it places any restrictions on her.
She is termed out of office after this year.
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