Here's something you might be interested in.
The Union-Tribune and local TV stations are reporting that former Mayor Bob Filner pleaded guilty this morning to one criminal count of false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit, and two misdemeanor battery counts.
Further details have not been reported yet.
The Union-Tribune and local TV stations are reporting that former Mayor Bob Filner pleaded guilty this morning to one criminal count of false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit, and two misdemeanor battery counts.
Further details have not been reported yet.
Booking on October 20th--sentencing in December. I think it is very doubtful that he does any jail time.
aardvark: It appears that this is a plea agreement but I just don't know the details. He resigned as mayor for economic reasons: he knew that defending actions by three separate branches of government (U.S. Attorney, AG, city attorney) would break him financially. Was this part of the same strategy? I just don't know. Best, Don Bauder
The real question is whether Filner's guilty plea will require him to register as a sex offender.
Burwell: One press account says that is not likely. Best, Don Bauder
These weren't the charges used to remove him from office, but perhaps the behavior he was apologizing for. If he pleaded guilty to this, he likely will settle the civil cases. I'm puzzled by how such a felony could occur in public without being noticed.
Bob Filner did not get equal justice, we may never get the full details, but no act described seemed very unusual, let alone criminal, on Filner's side. The prosecution behavior, from the Sheriff's hotline, to the international smear, to the active participation of political enemies and more, was not normal or equal. The prosecution was deviant, and possibly criminal.
Bob Filner settles this to bring closure, and perhaps out of real remorse. His enemies are remorseless hypocrites, and the City will have closure only when they are removed from office.
"... the City will have closure only when they are removed from office."
Yeah as soon as we clear up that JFK conspiracy we'll get to the cartel that made Bubba Bob resign and plead guilty because we know Bob would only do such things for the children (or maybe the "neighborhoods").
Maybe he can now quietly spend his retirement playing video poker with Maureen O'Connor.
Bob Hudson: This whole misadventure merits an intense investigation by some publication like the New Yorker. Best, Don Bauder
Please go down to a law library, and read up (for at least two weeks) on criminal law Then come back and comment again.
It appears that Filner pleaded guilty to crimes he did not commit to protect his family. He probably wants to leave some money to his children. Many CEOs in San Diego do what Filner did on a daily basis and are not prosecuted. If women complain, the company pays hush money to protect the CEO.
Burwell: This is just the beginning. The civil cases will go on and on, and there may still be more criminal proceedings in the future.
Burwell: What is really disturbing is the wording of the charges. He put his arm around a woman, possibly in a so-called Filner headlock, and allegedly didn't stop when he told her to. This is FALSE IMPRISONMENT BY VIOLENCE, FRAUD, MENACE AND DECEIT," according to the GM. The wording of this charge is gross overkill by the government.
A woman asked to have her photo taken with him and he allegedly touched her buttocks. This is a misdemeanor. He kissed a lady on her lips without her permisssion. Said the AG, "The conduct was not only criminal, it was also an extreme abuse of power." All these offenses happened with other people in the room for public events. Is there any evidence that anybody complained at the time?
Filner agreed to the charges to put this behind him. I repeat that this whole matter has been an intergovernmental lynching. Best, Don Bauder
Which CEOs in San Diego are doing this? Specifics, please. Just stating this in a blog does not make it true. You must know a lot of CEOs, so tell us more.
Goodbye
oldchulares: Yes, Filner is finished as a public figure. The U-T and other downtown corporate welfare mendicants will be rejoicing. Best, Don Bauder
It's not that complex. As the majority already knew, in spite of his political accomplishments, Filner is just a dick. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/sep/23/trio-making-public-harassment-allegations/
ottog1979: Few deny that Filner is arrogant and abrasive, and his behavior toward women was stupid. But many other powerful people in San Diego have the same qualities. Best, Don Bauder
And plenty of dicks stay in office.
But not this particular one.
aardvark: He was abrasive toward the people with money. Best, Don Bauder
And a fair amount of women without money.
ottog1979: Yes, that too. Abrasive and sometimes aggressive. Best, Don Bauder
shirleyberan: So true. Best, Don Bauder
Well OK now Filner has been proven guilty in a court of law but I guess that's still not enough.
I'm inspired by a recent car commercial extoling the virtues of "AND" instead of "OR".
The truth is:
AND
AND. AND. AND. Not OR.
^Word.
ImJustABill: Good points. Best, Don Bauder
This wasn't about violating women. It is the lowest low dealing for control of wealth.
CA Attorney General Kamala Harris is female and a Democrat. She obviously knows a lot more about the law than Filner apologists who comment in the Reader blogs.
Do you suggest that Kamala Harris interfered in this case personally?
As this was such a high-profile case, you can be sure she was kept informed of its progress and the plea deal. The point is, this was NOT a "lynching," "palace coup" or "media conspiracy" (or attack by the "corporate welfare crowd") as a certain Reader blogger has parroted for weeks.
dwbat: Gloria Allred originally went to the AG's office to round up support. She got it from the sheriff at the same meeting. Best, Don Bauder
Meet the new bat....same as the old bat. (Except for the cloak) Always thought you had some skin in this game, reinforced by this post.
I have no idea what "game" you are referring to.
"Game" used as an alternate expression for the Filner imbroglio.
dwbat: You are playing the game you don't understand. Best, Don Bauder
Duhbya: In assessing the activities of government officials, dwbat believes in the beauty of the way and the goodness of the wayfarers. Skeptical reporters do not. Best, Don Bauder
The "beauty of the way" has been waylaid, then.
“Inquiry is fatal to certainty.” - William J. Durant
Duhbya: Good quote by Durant. Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Harris got involved because Bonnie Dumanis had a conflict, having run against Filner. Best, Don Bauder
dwbat: Go ahead. Have blind faith in the integrity of public officials. But try to shake that faith when doing reporting. Best, Don Bauder
shirleyberan: That's one way to look at it. There are wrongs on both sides. But the public only hears about Filner's wrongs, except in the Reader. Best, Don Bauder
Don Bauder: I'd been told that you are Filner's primary apologist and so you are. You do understand that he pled guilty to a felony and misdemeanors, right? You do understand that his actions were criminal, right?
Can you offer any insight as to how you decided to go down a path defending an old lecherous criminal misogynist dimwit such as Filner? I'm close to your age so I'm hoping I don't sink into the self-delusionary state you've willed yourself into thinking a mutt like Filner deserves anything other than jail time.
Do you regret having lost credibility as a journalist or are you on the Don Quixote phase of your life and don't give a damn?
Uhoh....
shirleyberan: Remember, Filner admitted long ago that he had a monster inside him in dealing with women. But what has come out doesn't really justify the word "monster." I can think of at least one prominent person in the media industry whose activities are more repugnant than Filner's. Best, Don Bauder
There was open cooperation between branches of law enforcement even before these events occurred, they confess this. At issue is whether the government solicited retroactive withdrawal of consent, as they seemed to do with their Sheriff's hotline. This is a variety of perjury. Filner doesn't choose to fight on this bridge.
I've never heard of hugs and kisses prosecuted as battery or false imprisonment, usually these charges involve malicious intent, with bruises and scratches proving the case.
And as for proving the malicious nature of the attack on Filner, we need only look at the continued attacks on him in this blog. Rapists go unindicted in this city, horrible crimes go unremarked on this blog. Can anyone doubt that the continued fury concerns who he was, not what he did. Compare this case; http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs...
Psycholizard: Keep this in mind: Goldsmith told KUSI that he had begun working on Filner's ouster in January, almost as soon as he assumed office. Goldsmith did this, he said, because the recall process in San Diego was inadequate for doing the job. This will be an important fact to remember as this goes forward. Best, Don Bauder
dbwat - if you were a wise man someone might care what you think - champion of women? BS
shirleyberan: d-bat has to be wise. He writes for the Reader. Best, Don Bauder
You mean ex-mistress to Willie Brown? That Kamala Harris?
shirleyberan: I have not even heard that before (Harris/Brown), but that doesn't mean it's not true. Best, Don Bauder
Kamala Harris was Willie Brown's mistress when he ran the California state legislature. Harris was 26 and Brown was 60. Brown appointed Harris to two state boards that paid substantial salaries and he bought her a BMW. Harris owes her success in life to striking good looks. She did what she had to do to get ahead and stand in the short line. Harris and Filner swim in the same cesspool.
Burwell: Except Harris got out clean on this one and Filner didn't. Best, Don Bauder
You don't get elected San Francisco DA based on your looks.
dwbat: Keep believing. Best, Don Bauder
This is a strange thread. Filner's defender's report the allegations, Filner's attackers attach unpleasant adjectives as a substitute for argument. The interference of a politician is claimed as a defense against the charge of political interference.
Let me repeat, no one, not even the victims, cares about Bob Filner's criminal failures in lovemaking technique, his defenders are happy to report the pettiness of the charges. He was prosecuted for who he was, not for what he did.
Name calling only makes the case.
Filner has been convicted in court of law of a felony. If you consider repeating that fact to be name-calling so be it. In my opinion, the argument is over unless some new information is discovered.
It's good news that the ex-mayor pleaded guilty, but he sure cut a good deal for a light sentence--basically a slap on the wrist for a felony. He should at least have to do community service, like cleaning public toilets or picking up trash. And this should serve as a warning to the next public official who even thinks of engaging in sexual harassment.
dwbat: Yes, he got a good deal. That is why he confessed. He would have gone broke if he had not admitted to the allegations. This happens all the time in government: In effect, "We will pay your bills if you confess; if you don't confess, we will break you financially." That is what must be investigated, and the Filner case is a good one for such an investigation. Best, Don Bauder
ImJustABill: Oh, there is more to come out...about government agencies working together. Best, Don Bauder
If information comes out that gov't agencies colluded in an unethical and/or illegal way that should certainly be investigated fully. Personally, I don't see how that would clear Filner's name at this point.
Yes, he was prosecuted for who he was: he was a person who engaged in criminal behavior. And he told the court three times that he was guilty.
dwbat: You can't fight city hall...particularly when it is aligned with the state and federal governments. Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Look at press coverage -- not only locally, but nationally. Only one side of the story is told. Government charges are taken as gospel. No one questions that federal, state and local government were involved...TOGETHER. As I said, this entire Filner matter will make great reading in a publication such as the New Yorker after the hysteria goes away. Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Good points. The objective was to get him out of office, even if it took illegal methods. Best, Don Bauder
This was battery and false imprisonment, not sexual harassment. I've endured and seen far worse than that described, no charges were filed. DeMaio did worse, no charges were filed. It was who he was, not what he did.
"Filner is a disgusting man..." is name calling. You may as well plead to that, as well as failing to read your own writing. ImjustaBill
I would say it's a proven fact now that Filner is disgusting - I don't think it's name calling. So you are saying committing a felony against women is not disgusting? If so then I guess I am a name-caller.
Could you please elaborate on why it's not disgusting for a high level public official to commit a felony against a woman?
ImJustABill: Goldsmith has admitted that he began working on Filner's ouster in January. He talked with several others. With whom did he talk, and what strategy did they decide on? The public must force Goldsmith to admit the answers to these questions. Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Not only were no charges filed in the DeMaio matter, there was almost no press coverage. Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Will law enforcement charge everyone who uses an alleged headlock on another with "false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit"? Don't think so. Best, Don Bauder
Filner = Felony
it's official. one would think that would shut up the folks who defend him online. but no, the Filner Felony Fans seem to be in denial about what's happening to their hero. Filner was more like an idol, not a hero, to his followers where his worshipping fans cannot believe that he could do the wrongs that he admitted doing - because, really, the world is against them all....
MeReader: We're not in denial. Our case is made even stronger by yesterday's activities. Best, Don Bauder
Filner was an old man. he may have had woman problems throughout his life, but it seems he became less restrainted in his old age. he's old. Filner is a good reason why there should be a mandatory retirement age for politicians. also, his reported need for medication to control his moods should have been much more widely exposed before he became mayor. did San Diego really want a wacko who has to be medicated to actually run this city? it's surprising that was not a significant election campaign issue. probably would have been labelled dirty politics, but that should have been exposed. Filner went off his meds and then got all wacko in his old age as a sex-crazed creepy old pervert.
MeReader, you sound like you're 18 years old. When you gain some wisdom, if you make it that far, you will understand the complexities in situations like these. It's not as simple as you think. Come back in 30 years and comment.
Ponzi: I know one thing: I am 77 and do not expect to be around in 30 years when MeReader grows up. Best, Don Bauder
Don: What? But of course you will!
Yankeedoodle: Yes, but I expect to be down in hell by then, punished for saying so many nasty things about corporate welfare, the convention center glut, the intergovernmental lynching of a mayor, etc. Best, Don Bauder
MeReader: His reported need for medications is important. He may have gone off his meds. How many candidates for mayor in that election were on meds? That is an equally important question. Best, Don Bauder
The vast majority of San Diegans are satisfied with Filner's guilty pleas. But more legal troubles are coming his way. So the Filner-worshippers (especially a Reader blogger) will continue to rant and rave about how their boy got railroaded. It's like listening to a stuck record, or Tea Party boneheads squalling about Obamacare. I guess it won't stop, as they have nothing of real importance to talk about, so just repeat their own tired statements (like annoying/deceptive TV infomercials). It's so much easier to pontificate in blogs, than do real journalism with verifiable facts.
dwbat: Are you sure the people you allude to have nothing of real importance to talk about? Best, Don Bauder
Obviously the described offenses don't rise to the criminal level, let alone felony, but the prosecution could bring case after case, thanks to the squad of investigators assigned, and the Sheriff's hotline. Filner likely pled guilty due to the number of possible cases, even though each case was extremely weak, the cases detailed probably being the most serious.
It's amusing that people with little or no legal knowledge offer their legal opinions about what is "criminal" or not. How many in this blog have gone to law school? Anybody?
dwbat: Are law school grads sacrosanct, too? Do you believe everybody is flawless? Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Filner pleaded guilty because it was either do that or go broke. It was the same with his resignation from office: go along with three branches of government or go broke. This is the gravamen. This is also, tragically, common government practice. I am sure Filner will not talk about it. Best, Don Bauder
If what you are saying is true then perhaps Filner had a very poor defense attorney. Or was the defense attorney also in on this conspiracy to oust Bob Filner - it seems to include almost everyone in San Diego.
Nothing more to discuss here. Move along, folks.
dwbat: We will take your word that you will move along. Best, Don Bauder
Hooray this morning on KUSI with Ed Lenderman, San Diego Criminal Attorney Allen Bloom scoffed at the idea of "feloney headlock,"stating that this sort of thing happens all of the time and is never prosecuted. For it to rise to the level of criminal prosecution is almost unheard of, Bloom saying "it just never happens." He opines this was done to make an example of a particular person, because of who he is.
PacificBeachgirl: Hooray for Allen Bloom and Ed Lenderman for telling the truth. Up to now, only the Reader and a couple of smaller papers have pointed out that this has been an intergovernmental lynching from the beginning.
I will say it once more: Goldsmith said on KUSI that he had been working on ousting Filner beginning in January. Reason: the two couldn't get along. Good reason for an illegal lynching, right? Some day the San Diego public may realize this. Best, Don Bauder
Is this the same attorney in this past Reader article? Attorney Found Passed Out in Car, Convicted of DUI http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/20...
dwbat: Could be. I suppose you think that is a reason not to listen to him. Wrong again. Best, Don Bauder
Then again, having almost 2 dozen claimed harassment victims come forward publicly in a case like this just never happens either.
Imabill: There certainly were some claims made, no argument there.
Yankeedoodle: Many of those claims were questionable, and most were of dubious relevance because the alleged actions did not take place while the so-called victims worked for the city.
City employees are trained that if there is something considered sexual harassment, it should be reported immediately. Consider that. Best, Don Bauder
ImJustABill: I believe it was 19 who came forward -- I lost track -- and some were not credible at all, as reported by the Reader, and I believe ONLY the Reader. Best, Don Bauder
Bloom can scoff until the cows come home. Who cares?
Thank-you PBgirl! We're finally making sense again.
shirleyberan: It will take a long time before the San Diego public wakes up to what happened. Best, Don Bauder
Any correlation between name and performance?
DeMaio Filner, Felony, Faulconer, Fletcher. I give recent mayoral candidates D's and F grades.
Here's hoping the next mayor gets an "A" grade (for Aguirre)
ImJustABill: Agreed: Aguirre deserves an A. But Filner should not get an F. His beliefs and his platform were what San Diego needs, with some exceptions such as his late backing of the convention center expansion and his apparent working with the Chargers. Best, Don Bauder
When this plea was announced earlier in the week, I got to hear Goldsmith chortling on the air. He spent at least ten minutes in self-congratulation on the Bill Carroll show on KFI, and it was sickening to listen to it.
But, while I'm not in league with dwbat, and MeReader, I don't agree that this was a political lynching, pure and simple. A couple other local pundits, who shall remain unidentified, but whose opinions I also respect, see Filner as a bad choice. The Dems knew of his tempramental flaws, yet pushed him nonetheless, and now have a train wreck on their hands.
If this were actually a lynching, it would have been along partisan lines, and it wasn't. It started with one of his most ardent supporters in own his party, Donna Frye, calling for his removal. And it ended (if we can call this the end) with a partisan Dem attorney general accepting a plea deal which now brands him for life as a felon. Were there GOP people in the middle of it all? Sure, and Goldsmith was prominent among them. Don was calling for a public airing of these charges, and it looks as if (for the time being at least) that there will be no such public scrutiny. If Filner was so sure that he was innocent, as he claimed, he would have fought the charges, and exposed them for what he claimed they were, namely false.
It would be so easy to dismiss this case as justice being done if you like the outcome, or as a lynching if you do not like the outcome, but it is far more complicated than that.
Ah, a sense of reason emerges to counter the Filner fanboys on here! Yes, Filner was a bad choice, but many of us held our noses and voted for him as the other guy (DeMaio) was so much worse. So it was a lesser of two "weevils."
dwbat: But one of the two weevils got almost all the bad press and had the government destroying him, while the other is running for Congress, or thinks he is. Best, Don Bauder
Visduh: It did not start with Frye, Gonzalez, and Briggs. Goldsmith has admitted in a KUSI interview that he began working on the ouster of Filner in early January. Also, Goldsmith said that the recall route was impractical because too many signatures had to be gathered in too short a time. Frye et al were running on a separate track.
The corporate welfare folks had been working to get rid of Filner almost as soon as he was elected. Best, Don Bauder
Guilt or innocence is irrelevant to an actual lynching charge, most of those punished by the public might well have been guilty. Obviously lynching here is used as metaphor, and one can claim it's overheated metaphor, if you didn't live in this City when the outrage occurred. The frenzy unleashed went far beyond anything I've ever witnessed, and now leads to a plea bargain that would be laughable on it's face, if it didn't involve a felony. The City was thrown into turmoil for an unwanted smooch, pat on the butt, and hug, from complaints filed after the scheme to use these charges to remove the Mayor was publicly promoted.
This was not equal justice.
It wasn't equal justice, because Filner got basically a slap on the wrist for that felony. John Doe might well have done time for the same crime.
dwbat: The point is that John Does are not charged with such crimes for similar activity. Do you really think that a "Filner headlock" amounts to a felony count of false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit?
This was ridiculous overkill by government at several levels that was out to get him. He had to resign and plead guilty or go broke. You have to understand that this is how government works. Best, Don Bauder
I agree that this was frenzied, and far beyond anything seen in a very long time, if ever. This plea bargain is most strange, involving a felony, as you point out. It may or may not have been equal justice, because if there was truly felonious conduct, he should do some hard time. The whole thing has a most unsatisfying element to it, and we may have to witness years of civil proceedings about the same issues. The slobbering civic monster that is San Diego stumbles and slobbers along.
Visduh: I am going to put the KUSI interview with Goldsmith online. I will do it tomorrow (Friday). To repeat, Goldsmith admitted he started working on the ouster of Filner in January. Recall would not work because too many signatures would have to be collected in too short a time, he said. Gloria Allred went to the AG and sheriff's office, and Goldsmith no doubt worked with them, too. We still have not heard from the U.S. Attorney's office, which is working on something that appears to be equally ridiculous -- civil, hardly criminal.
As I have said before, Filner's actions were inexcusable. People who abused their power more egregiously, such as Jack Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and others did not get hounded out of office, although Clinton went through hell. (For the record, I thought the Clinton fiasco was also overkill, and I was a Republican at the time. I was also aware of Clinton's dreadful sexual behavior while he was governor of Arkansas.) Best, Don Bauder
Psycholizard: Of course it was not equal justice. Yes, lynching is a metaphor for the act of punishing someone without due process. That is what happened to Filner when he was forced to resign. Some might argue that he got due process when he admitted to a felony and two misdemeanors, but he only admitted to them to keep from going broke. Best, Don Bauder
If an attorney gets convicted of DUI, yes it IS a good reason not to listen to him/her again! It shows they may be lacking in judgment and integrity. Counselor-at-law Bloom can say what he wants to about the prosecution being inappropriate, but his opinion doesn't matter. People don't get cited often for spitting on the sidewalk. But if the Mayor did this repeatedly after being told to stop it, then he would deserve legal punishment for being such a clueless jerk. Ergo, Filner's legal troubles arrived at the station. Now was that so hard to understand?
dwbat: The Bar disciplines attorneys for various kinds of misbehavior. But to my knowledge, no one gets disbarred for having a DUI on his/her record. Best, Don Bauder
NEWS FLASH: I have it on good authority (wink wink) that The New Yorker will NOT be doing a story on Filnergate, even though a blogger keeps hoping and praying they will. The New Yorker has better stories to do than "SoCal sexual harasser cries "innocent" but pleads guilty to a felony later."
dwbat: Uh, Mr. Self-professed professional, the esteemed former editor of a magazine, the word innocent should have been 'innocent' and not "innocent" because it was inside a quote. Best, Don Bauder
DW: According to this paragraph above, the charge to which Filner plead guilty was not sexual harassment, nor were the two misdemeanors. Thus, the headline you facetiously describe would be a non sequitur.
Of course, battery is simply unwanted touching by another, of which I accuse my sig other often, especially when we are both going for the same last bite of ice cream in the carton:)
Yankeedoodle: Then report your significant other to City Attorney Goldsmith, who will round up officials from local, state and federal government branches and charge him/her with a felony and two misdemeanors. Best, Don Bauder
There must be more than we're told in this plea bargain, but one thing is certain, Filner pled guilty to a felony because the prosecutor would accept no less. From the beginning he seemed genuinely contrite. The sad lesson is that a public figure must never express remorse, only good people feel remorse, and understand their own weakness, but show remorse and weakness and the hypocrites will circle for the kill, howling with the sadistic joy only the remorseless feel.
That political mistake might be the right move for him personally, I hope he learns better manners and recovers from this. He's been wronged, but the only worthy revenge is to live well.
Psycholizard: He can't avenge this. He has been instructed to shut up or go broke. But San Diego can be stripped naked for this intergovernmental lynching. It's too early now. Best, Don Bauder
"Genuinely contrite" LOL. That is one of the more ridiculous things you've written. Go back and re-read Filner's resignation speech and how he talked about a "lynch mob" and only apologized for "offending" women - not harassing them.
ImJustABill: On the other hand, he pleaded guilty to one felony and two misdemeanors -- all three as phony as a three-dollar bill. None of those charges related to sexual harassment. Best, Don Bauder
To the blogger (whose name I don't use anymore): I'm quite aware what the State Bar does, so no need to instruct people like a condescending schoolmarm. [I once worked for a legal services firm in Los Angeles, and had some dealings with the Bar.] Nobody said a lawyer gets disbarred for a DUI. But who wants to retain such a lawyer, or listen to his rants on TV about what he considers a felony? I'll go along with the AG and grand jury instead. And I guess we'll hear the "corporate welfare folks" and "intergovernmental lynching" phrases a hundred more times from the blogger. Some bloggers just fall in love with their cherished sayings, and never let their cliches go away for more than a day. NOT Best, dwbat.
dwbat: Since you think AGs and grand juries do no wrong, just continue having faith. Best, Don Bauder