Ross Mirkarimi Gets Trial Date

Mayor Ed Lee so far has not asked sheriff to step down.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi had a trial date set today in an alleged domestic violence case involving his wife on New Year's Eve.

Mirkarimi, 50, will go on trial on Feb. 24 on three misdemeanor charges of domestic violence battery, child endangerment and dissuading a  witness. He pleaded not guilty to the charges last Thursday.

Mirkarimi will next be in court this Thursday, when his attorney Bob Waggener will argue for the removal of a stay-away order that is preventing him from contacting his wife Eliana Lopez and the couple's  son Theo.

Lopez denied being abused by her husband at last week's arraignment and also asked for the stay-away order to be lifted.

Prosecutors had sought the order, citing an arrest warrant affidavit in which Mirkarimi is accused of leaving a bruise on Lopez's right  bicep during an argument on New Year's Eve.

Lopez told a neighbor, who has since identified as Ivory Madison,  about the incident and Madison called police after taking a video of Lopez, who said Mirkarimi had threatened to take Theo away and had told her he "is  very powerful and can do it," according to the affidavit.

Mirkarimi did not speak during this morning's hearing, but his  attorney Waggener said outside of court that "this is one of the more overblown cases I've seen."

Along with the Feb. 24 trial date, a pre-trial conference was set  for Feb. 16, and there will be a Jan. 30 hearing on evidence issues in the  case. Mirkarimi was excused from attending that hearing.

Mirkarimi was sworn in as sheriff on Jan. 8 after serving for seven years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
 

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us