Former San Diego Mayor Filner Pleads Guilty To Criminal Horribleness, Aggravated Jerkosity

Serial creepmeister and former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner pleaded guilty yesterday to a single count of felony false imprisonment and two counts of misdemeanor battery. Under the plea deal, he will not go to jail, but will be prevented from ever holding public office again. The Democrat (and former Congressman) resigned in August following a series of sexual harassment accusations brought by pretty much every woman who ever stood within the same zip code with him.

The LA Times reports that the plea agreement does not require any jail time, but Filner

must serve three months of home confinement, undergo mental health counseling and give up most of his mayoral pension. During three years of probation, he cannot vote, serve on a jury or possess a firearm.

State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris said Filner's conduct -- touching women inappropriately, kissing them without permission, whispering lewd suggestions -- "was not only criminal, it was also an extreme abuse of power."

Filner's attorney, Jerry Coughlan, repeated the former mayor's apology to the women he harassed, and repeated some of the accomplishments that had been completely obliterated by Filner's sleazy behavior:

"Mr. Filner has a great legacy of achievement as a Freedom Rider, college professor, school board president, congressman and mayor ... He doesn't want that legacy to be destroyed by his personal conduct."

Good luck with that! And thanks for the reminder of all the honorable people and causes Filner betrayed for the sake of being a nasty groper.

In all, 19 women came forward to accuse Filner before he finally resigned. A civil suit, filed on behalf of Irene McCormack Jackson, is the only remaining legal action pending against Filner. Had he not accepted the plea bargain on the criminal charges, he could have faced a prison term of up to "three years on the felony charge and a year for each of the two misdemeanors; an upcoming sentencing hearing will determine how much restitution Filner will be required to pay, as well as court fees and conditions of his probation.

Yr Wonkette has to confess to wishing Filner might face a condition of release suggested in Neal Stephenson's  Snow Crash:   a tattoo across his forehead reading "Poor Impulse Control."

[ LAT ]