On Thursday, newly-elected
San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was in court where he pled not guilty to
misdemeanor counts of domestic violence battery, child endangerment and
dissuading a witness. The charges are a result of a New Year's Eve encounter with
his wife – Venezuelan TV actress Eliana Lopez – that allegedly became physical.
A neighbor to the couple reportedly received text messages from Lopez about the alleged incident and made a video in which – according to a police affidavit – Lopez says, "This is the second time this is happening ... I been telling him we need help and I'm going to use this just in case he wants to take Theo away from me because he did said that he is very powerful and can do it." Theo is the couple's 2-year-old son.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Susan Breall has upheld an order barring Mirkarimi from contacting Lopez and their son despite pleas by both that the alleged incident is being blown out of proportion.
"The violence against me is I don't have my family together," Lopez said earlier this week. "I'm not afraid of my husband at all."
Many say he just grabbed her arm – allegedly, – didn't actually hit her and that the courts should allow them to move on … together. They say his actions – which he has admitted "something" took place – don't make him an abuser if it happened just this one time. So why not let this happy little family be under one roof, behind closed door, again to carry on with their lives?
Because regardless if this was the first time, one of many and/or will never happen again, there are clear signs that this situation is one of domestic violence.
