Not satisfied with having only heard from her via that open letter to the Chronicle, ABC 7's Dan Noyes flew down to Caracas, Venezuela to tape an interview with Eliana Lopez, the wife of suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. She recounts the story we've already heard Mirkarimi tell of their New Year's Eve fight, but from her perspective, and she admits that she may, yes, maybe, be divorcing him. more ›

First Team Mirkarimi tried every legal maneuver in the book (not to mention crying on radio) to get out of the misconduct hearing, currently before the Ethics Commission. Then Mayor Lee fired back with the allegations of conspiracy. Then nobody could say the guy's name right. And now we have officially arrived at the point where we can start calling this thing "a circus." more ›

We know that you've all been dying, since yesterday, for an update on embattled and suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi and his plight to keep his job amidst an Ethics Commission hearing. Well, here you go. There was a hearing in Superior Court yesterday, and the judge decided to delay for another week deciding whether to make Eliana Lopez and/or Ivory Madison hand over the much publicized video to Mayor Ed Lee and the city attorney's office for use in the Ethics Commission hearing. Also, Mirkarimi's attorneys used the opportunity to file a brief once again arguing that the Mayor's actions are "transparently political" and "absurd" in light of historical precedent. more ›

Though she's in exile (or, from another perspective, back home) in Venezuela, Eliana Lopez is still fighting, through her attorney, to keep Mayor Ed Lee from using the video she and neighbor Ivory Madison made on New Year's Day against her husband, Ross Mirkarimi. Her attorney Paula Canny says that "dissemination of photos and videos ... after a criminal case is concluded is detrimental to the crime victim." It's up to Judge Garrett Wong in a hearing today whether this case is concluded, and whether Lee has a right to subpeona such evidence in the upcoming, trial-like Ethics Commission hearing. more ›

In the latest news surrounding sidelined Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi's misconduct trial, it is the Mayor's turn to start lobbing out the pointed language and conspiracy theories. In an opening brief for the trial, Mayor Lee's office and a Deputy City Attorney accused Mirkarimi and his campaign manager of attempting to cover up the events from New Year's Eve. more ›

At least for now, a judge has ruled that the cell phone records of Ross Mirkarimi's former campaign manager can not be subpoenaed in the Mayor's Ethics Commission investigation of the suspended sheriff. Also, Eliana Lopez has been granted an extended stay, by court order, of an additional seven weeks in Venezuela, where she's been since March with her and Mirkarimi's son Theo. She'll be staying by her ailing father, and seeking work in the film industry there, since the couple has been left without income since Mirkarimi's suspension. more ›

Sidelined Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi went before the Ethics Commission earlier this week. Although the early proceedings sound like a completely snoozefest, whip smart local political analyst Melissa Griffin has handily recapped the highlights for us in her Thursday Examiner column. Twenty-nine people in total stood up to support the Sheriff-in-exile, which may or may not have been his entire fanbase at this point, but nearly a third of them couldn't be bothered to get his name right. As Griffin describes the scene: more ›

It's looking more and more like the Ethics Commission hearing for suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is going to be an ersatz trial for the domestic abuse charges for which he almost but wasn't tried — albeit one that goes on for months with lengthy breaks and with the added drama of more charges from the mayor's side. Proceedings kicked off Monday with a lot of back and forth between Mayor Ed Lee and the "prosecution" and Mirkarimi's new attorney Shepard Kopp, with both sides presenting arguments about what the standard of proof will be, and what the Mayor and City Attorney's legal authority is in the "trial." more ›

Ross Mirkarimi was back in court today with his lawyers arguing before Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn that he should not have been suspended from duty as Sheriff pending his Ethics Commission hearing, but things aren't looking good for his case. Judge Kahn already issued a tentative ruling yesterday in favor of Mayor Ed Lee's decision, but there is a small chance he will be swayed by arguments today. more ›

Embattled Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi finally went public today with his entire side of the story on KQED's 'Forum.' He explained how wife Eliana Lopez's arm got bruised on New Year's Eve, and how he feels he's been "seriously misrepresented" in the press. On a whole, it sounds like Mirkarimi wants to let go of the legalese and be honest now, and muster as much sympathy as he can before going before the Ethics Commission next week. more ›

Attorneys for Ross Mirkarimi, who now include local attorney David Waggoner and Shepard Kopp from L.A., filed a petition today to get City Attorney Dennis Herrera disqualified from Mirkarimi's upcoming hearing regarding his official misconduct charges. Mirkarimi and his lawyers are going to be arguing before a judge on April 20 that his suspension by Mayor Lee should be overturned, but the day before, April 19, a judge will now be hearing arguments about whether Herrera has a conflict of interest in the case. more ›

So this is funny/expensive: Embattled Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, whose legal arguments against his suspension are lately getting laughed at by City Attorney Dennis Herrera, has just hired a high-profile L.A. attorney whose credits include Michael Jackson's 2003 molestation trial and Mel Gibson's 2006 DUI case and the Scott Peterson murder trial in 2002. It's unclear whether Mirkarimi can actually afford the services of this attorney, Shepard Kopp, or if Kopp is perhaps doing this pro bono because he has a personal interest in politics and believes firmly that a miscarriage of justice is occurring here. more ›

Oh boy. Eliana Lopez writes in to the Chronicle from Venezuela, where she is staying with son Theo until the end of April, and she's now comparing what's happened to husband Ross Mirkarimi to the golpe de estado (coup d'etat) that happened in her country in 2002. Gotta say... that's a little bit of a stretch, Eliana! He's just the sheriff! more ›

Today's update regarding the plight of embattled sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is that a judge has reversed an earlier decision and is allowing Mirkarimi back in his own house this week. He had been barred from going home, by court order, since January, but now that wife Eliana Lopez and their young son are in Venezuela until the end of the month, Mirkarimi can return to their Western Addition home with one caveat: stay away from the neighbors. more ›

It seems clear at this point that some irreparable damage has been done to Ross Mirkarimi and Eliana Lopez's marriage during this recent domestic violence scandal. But their marriage was likely headed for some difficulty, if not actual divorce, even before that fateful New Year's Day when Lopez went next door to show neighbor Ivory Madison her bruise. But now, via an editorial penned by a friend in the Guardian, Lopez is indirectly speaking out about how incredibly disempowered she's been through this whole process, and how she maintains firmly that the problems with her marriage, and Mirkarimi's temper, were hers to deal with, and should never have been made public. more ›

Facing the prospect of an empty home and nothing to fill his days except Nash Bridges reruns on the USA Network, suspended sheriff Ross Mirikarimi asked the San Francisco Superior Court to overturn Mayor Lee's suspension order this morning. Because the alleged misconduct took place on New Year's Eve, two weeks before Mirkarimi was sworn in as Sheriff, his attorney David Waggoner claims Mirkarimi is being wrongfully suspended from an office he didn't hold at the time. more ›

When last we checked in with Ross Mirkarimi, the recently elected — and even more recently suspended — Sheriff was refusing to resign from his post and ready to take on official charges of misconduct that could kick him out of office and make him lose his pension and benefits. That and Mayor Lee installed Vicki Hennessy in the post in the meantime. But a lot has happened in the year's breakout hit courtroom drama since last week. Here's where we stand now: more ›

In today's final update in the ongoing Mirkarimi saga, Mayor Lee named former S.F. Department of Energy Director Vicki Hennessy as Mirkarimi's replacement during the misconduct investigation. Hennessy (no relation to long-time Sheriff Mike Hennessey, apparently) was formerly a deputy with the Sheriff's Department and supported Paul Miyamoto in last year's election. more ›

Although he's still got some time on the clock before Mayor Lee's deadline, the AP is now reporting that, according to Mirkarimi's attorney, the guilty sheriff will not resign despite the threat of misconduct charges. more ›

Here's the scene from outside the San Francisco Sheriff's Office where NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez and the rest of the voracious press corps wait for smoke signals Ross Mirkarimi's decision to step down or fight the misconduct charges. Hernandez tweets: more ›

Although the Mayor's office has yet to make an official announcement, the Chronicle is now reporting that Mayor Lee made clear his stance on Ross Mirkarimi's guilty plea. In a private meeting between Mayor Lee and Mirkarimi yesterday, the Mayor reportedly gave the sheriff an ultimatum regarding his current political career: either resign by 4 p.m. today, or face an official misconduct trial. The 4 p.m. deadline gave Mirkarimi roughly 24 hours to make up his mind. more ›

Topping the headlines this morning relating to embattled Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi we have a somewhat damning piece in the Chronicle by Ivory Madison's husband, Abraham Mertens. He tells of multiple phone calls from neighbor Eliana Lopez, with Mirkarimi audible in the background, asking his wife to destroy evidence (that video), and he's clearly angry at the ordeal that Madison and his family have been put through by Mirkarimi's attorneys throughout this case. He says, among other things, that Mirkarimi should resign, and, "It's bad enough my family has to live next door to him." more ›

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi received a one-day jail sentence and three years of probation Monday for falsely imprisoning his wife, Eliana Lopez, during a fight that allegedly resulted in his bruising her. The Chronicle breathlessly reports, "An emotional Mirkarimi said outside the courtroom that he accepted full responsibility for his actions. He will get credit for the time he has already spent in jail." more ›

For all those of you who aren't entirely disinterested and bored with this story by now (and you know who you are, avid Mirkarimi fans and detractors with your many emphatic comments!), allow us to remind you that Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is getting sentenced today. Willie Brown chimes in, trying damn hard to sound objective, regarding the choice Mayor Ed Lee has to make about trying to remove Mirkarimi from office. And now we get word from the mustachio'd Matier & Ross that Lee seems to be leaning toward the ouster, and his talks with City Attorney and former mayoral candidate Dennis Herrera have centered on whether someone convicted of imprisoning his wife should be able to serve as sheriff. more ›

Chomping at the bit to get Ross Mirkarimi to stand trial for domestic abuse, apparently, District Attorney George Gascon has some more fighting words for the sheriff, who pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge of false imprisonment in order to avoid a trial. more ›

Chuck Nevius might be over it, but several local anti-domestic violence advocacy groups aren't happy with Ross Mirkarimi's plea deal. In a press conference on the steps of City Hall this afternoon the Domestic Violence Consortium, La Casa De Las Madres and Futures Without Violence gathered supporters to call on Mayor Lee and the Board of Supervisors to remove Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi from office. more ›

At least one person at the Chronicle has had enough with the Mirkarimi debacle and doesn't care to see the guy publicly flogged any further, and shockingly, it's Chuck Nevius. The man of many opinions writes today, "I don't think Mayor Ed Lee should start the process to remove Mirkarimi as sheriff," and "enough is enough." more ›

With today's news that the under-siege Sheriff took plea deal it looks like this telenovella could be all wrapped up in a week. Now, because forming opinions is hard and we already heard from the Guardian, lets take a look at how the rest of the San Francisco's vocal luminaries feel about today's news (on Twitter, that is). more ›

Hey, everyone! The San Francisco Bay Guardian really kinda likes and respects Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, and they hope that after this plea deal and everything, you'll all stop harshing on him and stuff. As Guardian editor Tim Redmond is quick to point out today in a lengthy editorial, the onetime capital-P Progressive golden boy of the Board of Supervisors was given no choice but to plead guilty if he wanted to continue bearing a firearm in his job, and this was pretty much just a take-down by Mirkarimi's less progressive enemies. Also, even if ex-girlfriend Christina Flores might have been similarly abused by Mirkarimi before he got with Ms. Lopez, she nevertheless penned a threatening poem after the breakup, which Redmond reprints for us now. more ›

According to Examiner and other sources, Sheriff Ross Mikarimi has accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of false imprisonment. In exchange for his plea, Mirkarimi will face three years probation, 100 hours of community service, a year of domestic violence counseling, and he will make an open apology to the court. Also, the protective order preventing him from being with his wife, Eliana Lopez, will remain in place for now. He'll be sentenced March 19. more ›