San Francisco sheriff Mirkarimi awaits mayor's announcement after spousal violence case
(CBS/AP) SAN FRANCISCO - The mayor of San Francisco is expected to announce on Tuesday whether he will seek the removal of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, who was sentenced to 3 years of probation Monday in a domestic violence case.
Mayor Ed Lee and Mirkarimi met for a little more than 30 minutes late Monday at San Francisco City Hall to discuss the sheriff's future. Although both men declined to comment after the meeting, the mayor's office said Lee would make an announcement regarding the case on Tuesday.
Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor false imprisonment charge. District Attorney George Garscon insisted the charge was a domestic violence conviction, although his office agreed to drop misdemeanor charges of domestic violence, child endangerment and dissuading a witness in exchange for the sheriff's guilty plea.
Under the plea agreement, Mirkarimi must pay $590 in fines, serve probation, spend a year in a domestic violence intervention program, take parenting classes and do community service.
Some victim support groups have called for the sheriff's removal from office after he pleaded guilty to the charge arising from a bruise on his wife's bicep she suffered on New Year's Eve.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, if Lee chooses to charge Mirkarimi with official misconduct, the sheriff would immediately be suspended. The matter would be decided by the Board of Supervisors, requiring the support of nine of 11 supervisors to remove him from office.