California
Related: About this forumState Assemblywoman blames shoplifting on brain tumor.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi, D-Castro Valley, pleaded no contest this afternoon in San Francisco Superior Court to a misdemeanor shoplifting charge.
After the plea, Hayashi declined comment, but her attorney, Doug Rappaport, said she had a brain tumor that affected her judgment the day of the shoplifting.
Hayashi was sentenced to three years of probation and less than $200 in fines. She was told to stay more than 50 feet away from Neiman Marcus, where she was arrested in October, during her probation.
Her plea followed the San Francisco district attorney's signal earlier today that he would be open to the court reducing the felony grand theft charge filed in the shoplifting case against Hayashi to a misdemeanor.
"This is a case that clearly contains the elements, in our opinion, of the crime as a felony, but we also recognize that the defendant in this case is a first-time offender, and I think that also plays a part in the discussion," San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said after a news conference on an unrelated case.
"If the court decides to go in a different direction, we'll support it," Gascon added.
Rappaport said the tumor affected Hayashi's judgement, but added she is on the mend.
"Unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with a brain tumor," said Rappaport, who said she was diagnosed prior to the incident. "However, fortunately for her, it's benign and it can be taken care of and addressed with medication, which is exactly what happened...Fortunately, it is something curable and is treatable. It is being treated and so it no longer is affecting her."
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/01/california-assemblywoman-mary-hayashi-no-contest-shoplifting-charge-san-francisco.html
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)We need lawmakers with sound minds.
ellisonz
(27,711 posts)Also: DU Copyright: "we ask that excerpts from other sources posted on Democratic Underground be limited to a maximum of four paragraphs, and we ask that the source of the content be clearly identified."
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bayareaboy
(793 posts)but, who wants their Rep frequenting Neiman Marcus. After all they are a Texas operation!
Russ B