Thursday: SF Rally to Reinstate Ross Mirkarimi as Sheriff

Photos by David Elliot Lewis

Thursday August 16th from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm at San Francisco City Hall will be the final session of the Ethics Commission Hearings on Ross Mirkarimi, hearings which amount to a witch hunt by the mayor and business interests of the only elected progressive official in San Francisco. Ross Mirkarimi, known internationally for his ban on plastic bags, is a founder of the California Green Party and a consistent supporter, as District 5 Supervisor for 5 years, for the needs of the people. But tomorrow, he needs our support.

The Green Party of Alameda County has endorsed the statement create by the SF Green Party on Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, here.

Excerpt:

“A misdemeanor conviction in a family conflict case, which the court itself has decided will be best resolved by family counseling and education, clearly does not constitute sufficient reason to remove an effective and dedicated public servant from office. . . Recently we have witnessed extremely alarming national trends toward demonizing and disenfranchising undocumented citizens and people of color, and violently cracking down on public protests like those of the Occupy movement at the behest of corporate interests. . . It is imperative that we have the strongest, most progressive champion of civil rights possible in charge of the Sheriff’s Department, in order to ensure that the legacy established by Sheriff Hennessey continues uninterrupted. It is clear that the public elected Sheriff Mirkarimi, based on his proven ability to build on his predecessor’s legacy in the face of national political pressure. . . We can only conclude that members of the Downtown political machine and its media allies have cynically seized upon this case as a means of removing the one progressive citywide elected executive in San Francisco from his position, in order to advance a more reactionary and corporate-oriented control over our local government and our community.”
from: San Francisco Green Party: Statement in Support of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Remaining in Office as the Duly Elected Sheriff of San Francisco

Please join us on Thursday August 16th, 2012, at San Francisco City Hall starting at 9 a.m. for the hearings and / or at 12 NOON for the rally. Please be prepared to offer Public Comment if you wish to be heard on this matter.

Following these hearings, the SF Board of Supervisors will make a decision on whether to recommend Mirkarimi be removed from office.

Aurora Grajeda states: “There are a myriad of issues that this case raises, mainly the principles of Democracy and fairness in the Judicial System which the people of San Francisco and allies in the Bay Area have been passionately and clearly voicing in front of the Ethics Commission Hearings during the Public Comment section; the most striking aspect is the immense diversity of the speakers which truly reflect the population of the City and County of San Francisco. Support for the Sheriff and outrage at injustices and the blatant corruption of the systems erupting from the proceedings.”

Immediately below, Aurora Grajeda has created links to playlists of YouTube video clip samples of the comments of concerned citizens:

Video clips of the April 23, 2012 Public Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBifwLz7S7Q&list=PL643F9641E1A7BAA1&feature=plcp

“Videos of the Public Comments At the May 29 hearing”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBifwLz7S7Q&list=PL58097ECF0403549B&feature=plcp

For anyone wishing to get involved, at Friends Of Ross there is information on steps and links to follow if desired. http://friendsofross.com/

For further details on this case, Mr. Larry Bush of http://www.citireport.com/ has done excellent investigative reporting and Mr. Luke Thomas of http://www.fogcityjournal.com/ has been following and reporting on this issue as well http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=fogcityjournal.

SAN FRANCISCO ETHICS COMMISSION
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING
August 16, 2012 9:00 A.M.
Room 263 City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco

http://www.sfethics.org/ethics/2012/07/my-entry.html

1. Call to order and roll call.
2. The Ethics Commission will continue its hearing on charges of official misconduct pending against Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. Under Charter Section 15.105, when the Mayor suspends an elective officer, “The Ethics Commission shall hold a hearing not less than five days after the filing of written charges. After the hearing, the Ethics Commission shall transmit the full record of the hearing to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation as to whether the charges should be sustained.” Attorneys representing the Mayor and the Sheriff have filed papers with the Ethics Commission relating to identified issues, fact and expert witnesses, and other matters set forth at the Commission’s April 23, 2012, May 29, 2012, June 19, 2012, June 28, 2012 and June 29, 2012 meetings. Among other things, the Commission will continue to address the issues raised in the briefs and objections to evidence and witnesses; and consider sworn declarations, direct testimony and questions raised on and responses to cross-examination, as well as the parties’ agreed-upon factual stipulations. There will be an opportunity for public comment on this item after the evidentiary phase is complete, when the Commission will begin its deliberations to formulate its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors as required under the Charter. (Discussion and possible action.)
3. Adjournment.