SF Sheriff, Prosecutor Arrested for Domestic Violence

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on January 26, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Things are amiss with San Francisco's law enforcement leaders -- they keep getting busted for domestic violence. In fact, police have arrested both the new SF sheriff and an SF prosecutor in just the last month.

The latest of these arrests occurred over the weekend and involved Assistant District Attorney Sanaz Nikaein and her husband. The divorcing couple is apparently living as roommates and got into a fight.

The fight ended when each made a citizen's arrest against the other, according to Nikaein's attorney, Tony Brass.

It may seem odd to arrest both the SF prosecutor and her husband, but there are situations in which both partners need to be hauled in. It could be a case where neither is able to claim self-defense, or the facts were so unclear police had no choice but to arrest them both.

And don't think men can't be the victims of domestic violence. Approximately 15% of victims of intimate partner violence are men, according to the Domestic Violence Research Center. It's not spoken about, but it does happen.

But obviously so does man-on-woman domestic violence. Such is the case of SF sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. He pleaded not guilty earlier this month to abusing his wife, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. He's also accused of child endangerment and dissuading a witness.

However, Mirkarimi's wife, former telenovela star Eliana Lopez, is defending her husband. There's video of the incident, but she claims it is being taken out of context, reports CBS.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for victims to defend their abusers -- they often refuse to testify, and end up being hostile witnesses for the prosecution.

Mirkarimi's court date is scheduled for late next month, and there is no news yet on whether Nikaein will face prosecution. But thus far, it doesn't seem like either the SF sheriff or SF prosecutor will get off scot free.

Related Resources:

SF prosecutor arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges (KTVU)
Domestic Violence (FindLaw)
Stop Domestic Violence (FindLaw)