Due to a conflict of interest raised by Mirkarimi’s defense team, filed Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, attorney Scott Emblidge of Moscone, Emblidge and Sater LLP, has been assigned to represent both the Ethics Commission and Board of Supervisors.
It is the latest motion to be filed by Mirkarimi in his quest for justice. A previous motion, filed March 27, seeks to reinstate the former District 5 supervisor as the lawfully elected Sheriff of San Francisco. That hearing has been scheduled for April 20.
Chiu, 42, was elevated to the Board presidency in January 2009 – the first Taiwanese-American to serve in this capacity – due in large part to an unresolved grudge match between former Supervisors Chris Daly and Ross Mirkarimi. He later drew the ire of Daly and progressives when Chiu voted for then-City Administrator Ed Lee, an establishment pick, over former Sheriff Michael Hennessey, an independent, for interim mayor last year.
According to Waggoner, “Because Mirkarimi was not sheriff at the time of the alleged misconduct, Lee’s suspension amounts to an abuse of discretion. We are a city and nation of laws, and there is a legal standard that must be followed. By suspending the Sheriff for conduct that occurred before he assumed office and is not directly related to his job duties, Mayor Lee failed to follow the law.”
Asked if a potential Board vote on whether suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi should be removed from office is “weighing heavily” on his mind, Mar told Fog City, “I really cannot make any comment about my former colleague, Ross Mirkarimi, but I’ll just say that I always will be a fair person that listens to all the evidence and does my best to be fair – and I know that is going to be a difficult decision.”
Lee, who had asked Mirkarimi to step down Monday or face suspension, announced his decision to suspend the Sheriff following Mirkarimi’s announcement that he would not resign. Mirkarimi now faces an Ethics Commission probe into whether his conviction rises to the level of official misconduct as defined in the city Charter, a finding that will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for a vote. Nine of eleven supervisors must vote in the affirmative to remove an elected public official from office.
Lopez is expected to tell the untold story of what happened on December 3 that led to an altercation between Lopez and her husband, an argument that resulted in Ms. Lopez sustaining a bruise on her right arm. Court documents paint a picture of a couple experiencing marriage difficulties with concerns over a possible divorce and child custody battle.
Recent Comments