So why did San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi plead guilty to false imprisonment? Why not domestic violence, when the terms of probation that were part of the plea included standard domestic violence terms (such as a 52-week domestic violence class)? My guess is it’s because misdemeanor false imprisonment does not carry an automatic firearm ban. A domestic violence conviction, on the other hand, comes with a 10 year ban on firearm possession under state law, and a lifetime ban under federal law. It would be tough being a sheriff without a gun!

However, Sheriff Mirkarimi may not be out of the woods yet. So long as he is subject to any kind of domestic violence restraining order, he is likely unable to own or possess a gun.