Ross Mirkarimi

Ross Mirkarimi
Mirkarimi in 2008
Sheriff of the City and County of San Francisco
In office
October 10, 2012 – January 7, 2016
MayorEd Lee
Preceded byVicki Hennessy (Interim)
Succeeded byVicki Hennessy
In office
January 7, 2012 – March 20, 2012
MayorEd Lee
Preceded byMichael Hennessey
Succeeded byVicki Hennessy (Interim)
Member of the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
from District 5
In office
2005–2012
MayorGavin Newsom
Ed Lee
Preceded byMatt Gonzalez
Succeeded byChristina Olague
Personal details
Born1961 (age 62–63)
Chicago, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic (since 2010)
Other political
affiliations
Green (founding non-member)
SpouseEliana Lopez
ChildrenTheo Mirkarimi
Residence(s)San Francisco, California
Alma materSt. Louis University
Golden Gate University
University of San Francisco
OccupationPolitician

Rostam Mirkarimi (born 1961) is an American politician and the former sheriff of San Francisco.[1] Prior to being sheriff, he served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where he represented District 5.

Mirkarimi is a co-founder of the Green Party of California. Elected as a supervisor, Mirkarimi received national attention in 2007 when he introduced the first legislation prohibiting the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by large supermarkets and drugstores, making San Francisco the first city to do so.[2]

In March 2010, Mirkarimi became a Democrat[3] and he was elected sheriff in November 2011. He served from January to March 2012, at which time he was charged with domestic violence battery, child endangerment, and dissuading a witness in connection with a December 31, 2011 New Year's Eve altercation with his wife, and he was suspended from office pending an ethics investigation.[4] Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor false imprisonment, but was not removed from office. He lost his reelection bid to Vicki Hennessy in 2015. Mirkarimi became the first sheriff in San francisco to lose their bid for reelection and the first person to be elected without ever serving with the sheriff office.

  1. ^ "About Ross Mirkarimi". Ross Mirkarimi. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  2. ^ Gorn, David (March 27, 2008). "San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities". NationalPublic Radio. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Tim Redmond, "Mirkarimi's a Democrat, Newsom's a candidate"; March 10, 2010; San Francisco Bay Guardian.
  4. ^ Richmond, Josh (January 13, 2012) "San Francisco sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to face misdemeanor charges." San Jose Mercury News.