Mirkarimi Not Conceding After Ethics Panel Upholds Misconduct Charges
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — The long-running City Hall saga on the fate of suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi will shift to the Board of Supervisors next month.
After Thursday's 4-1 vote by the Ethics Commission upholding misconduct charges, Mirkarimi said he can convince at least three supervisors to let him keep his job and is nowhere near conceding.
As far as Mirkarimi is concerned, the panel's vote didn't change a thing. "They've arrived at the same place that they were at many, many months ago," said the suspended sheriff.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
Mirkarimi was suspended by Mayor Ed Lee in March after pleading guilty to false imprisonment stemming from an argument with his wife Eliana Lopez, in which he grabbed and bruised her arm.
Because the panel rejected the other charges filed by Lee, Mirkarimi attorney David Waggoner said he thinks the supervisors can't possibly kick the sheriff out of office.
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"We believe that the board will take a look at the full record, will agree with Commissioner [Benedict] Hur that the sheriff should be reinstated. There was no official misconduct warranting removal," said Waggoner.
But Deputy City Attorney Peter Keith said the official misconduct charge has been sustained so no matter how the Ethics Commission writes its final recommendation, Mirkarimi has to go.
"The sheriff consistently took actions that caused further negative consequences for his department and for this city. There's no question that this type of conduct warrants removal," Keith argued.
Nine of the 11 supervisors must vote to remove Mirkarimi. Supervisors who talked to KCBS have not discussed the facts of the case or how they might vote.
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