The former mayor ended his political career Tuesday in a plea deal for his false imprisonment and misdemeanor charges and will not serve any jail time

Former San Diego Mayor, Bob Filner pleaded guilty to a felony charge for false imprisonment and two misdemeanor battery charges on Tues., Oct. 15, reaching a plea deal with the city. He was accused of forcibly restraining or making sexual advances toward three women against their will.
His sentence included mandatory mental health treatment, three months home confinement and three years probation during which he cannot vote, serve on a jury or possess firearms. In addition, he cannot run for office again and will lose his mayoral pensions from the date of the first accusation until his resignation. If he violates these sentences, he could serve up to six months in prison.

Filner, 71, resigned in late August after 18 accusations of sexual harassment were made against him. However, he agreed to resign under the condition that the city pay for his legal fees in civil cases. His former fiance, Bronwyn Ingram, left him in July due to his sexual advances on other women.

The women he committed false imprisonment and battery against were identified as “Jane Doe 1, 2 and 3” in reports. Filner violently held back Jane Doe 1 with what is now referred to as the “Filner headlock” on March 6 at a fundraiser. The first misdemeanor occurred on April 6, when the former mayor kissed Jane Doe 2 against her will at a “Meet the Mayor” event. On May 26, Filner allegedly grabbed the buttocks of Jane Doe 3 at a Fiesta Island rally.

The former Freedom Rider served as mayor for nine months and was San Diego’s first democratic mayor in 20 years. During his resignation speech, Filner called himself the victim of a “lynch mob,” explicitly stating that he was never a perpetrator of sexual harassment. A mere six weeks later he pleaded guilty to the charges.

The guilty plea comes a month before the special election for Filner’s replacement. Former UCSD professor Nathan Fletcher leads the polls with 4 points over Kevin Faulconer, with David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre at 20 percent and 8 percent of the vote, respectively, according to U-T San Diego.