A tearful Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi said he was “ashamed” and “eternally sorry” for falsely imprisoning his wife upon being sentenced in a San Francisco courtroom this morning. Now he faces a potential attempt by Mayor Ed Lee to oust him, and maybe a recall effort. There were no surprises: He was sentenced to a day in jail (as a technicality, since he received credit for time already spent in jail), 3 years probation, 52 weeks of domestic violence classes, 100 hours of community service and a $400 fine.
Add: He’ll also be required to attend family counseling. But since the domestic violence charges were dropped, the sheriff will still be able to carry a gun. From his public statement:
"I deeply and humbly apologize for my behavior and the pain it caused to my wife and son, to my colleagues, to the San Francisco Sheriff's Department and to the people of San Francisco. For what happened on December 31st, there are no excuses and I accept full responsibility.
"The very public reminder that I'm not the person that I thought I was provides for a dark world where my flaws stand bright. Some time ago I started counseling to address my arrogance and anger issues. I look forward to begin additional counseling that I will be receiving and the couples counseling my wife and I sought during this ordeal but was denied, and hoping that we'll eventually undergo."
More: The Bay Citizen; Chronicle