Mirkarimi's San Francisco Neighbors Sue For Defamation

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- The neighbors who played a key role in the domestic violence case involving San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi are suing the sheriff and his wife, Eliana Lopez.

In a suit filed Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court, Ivory Madison and her husband, Abraham Mertens, are claiming they were defamed by Mirkarimi and Lopez.

In their suit, Madison and Mertens allege that the sheriff and his wife falsely stated that Madison and her husband practiced law without a license and lied to the police.

The suit is seeking an unspecified amount of damages, a retraction of what it terms false and defamatory statements, and a prohibition of future defamation.

Shepard Kopp, an attorney representing Mirkarimi, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he expected the suit to be dismissed.

Paula Canny, an attorney who represented Lopez, said she was surprised by the suit.

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