Robert Galbraith / Reuters file
San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi gestures as he walks into Superior Court for the start of his trial on domestic abuse charges in San Francisco, Calif. on Feb. 24.
By The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco sheriff Ross Mirkarimi pleaded guilty Monday to false imprisonment in a domestic violence case involving his wife, a Venezuelan actress.
Under the plea agreement, Mirkarimi was fined $590 and sentenced to three years of probation and a year of counseling. He will also be required to take parenting classes.
He previously pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence battery, child endangerment and dissuading a witness after being accused of grabbing his wife in front of their toddler son New Year's Eve.
He could have faced a year in jail, if convicted.
His wife, Eliana Lopez, later denied she was the victim of domestic violence.
The plea was entered in a San Francisco courtroom.
New sheriff mired in domestic abuse drama
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that a video in which Lopez displayed bruises on her arm while tearfully describing the incident could be used as evidence.
Attorneys for Mirkarimi had sought to move his upcoming domestic violence trial out of the city to ensure he got a fair and impartial jury.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook
© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
