The documents (after the jump) have been served and Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is officially suspended without pay. The key to Mayor Ed Lee’s case for removing the sheriff from office–which now must go before the Ethics Commission and the Board of Supervisors–is an allegation that Mirkarimi’s ability to do his job has been fundamentally compromised by his conviction for false imprisonment:
Sheriff Mirkarimi’ s actions undermine the integrity of the Office of Sheriff. He misused the power and status accompanying his public office. He committed unlawful acts of violence and falsely imprisoned his wife -ultimately resulting in his own imprisonment. This misconduct is fundamentally incompatible with holding the Office of Sheriff, the chief elected law enforcement officer in the City and County of San Francisco and constitutes official misconduct under Section 15.105 of the Charter.
Interestingly, the charges of domestic violence and child endangerment–for which Mirkarimi was not convicted–are mentioned as reasons for his removal alongside his guilty plea to false imprisonment.
By Nicole Jones
San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos reflects on his runner-up showing in the San Francisco mayor’s race. He also discusses how ranked-choice voting worked out in last week’s election, and describes his efforts to bring more lower-income and middle-class values to City Hall. Avalos also speaks about issues of the Occupy movement.
