Max Carter Oberstone, the lawyer and Police Commission member Mayor Lurie wants to fire, will get his day in court, so to speak, on Feb. 25, when the Board of Supes will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting to consider the mayor’s request.
That will give Carter Oberstone, who has been among the best members of the commission, a change to challenge Lurie’s effort to oust him in the middle of a term that doesn’t end until 2026.
Under the City Charter, the mayor can’t remove an appointed police commissioner without the consent of a majority of the supes.
Typically a request like this would go to the board’s Rules Committee for a hearing, then on to the full board for a vote.
But Board President Rafael Mandelman told me that several of the other supes have requested that the full board hear the case. “So I am calling a Committee of the Whole,” he told me.
That hearing will take place Feb. 25.
Mandelman said he expects Carter Oberstone will be present to oppose the move, and that he hopes a representative of the Mayor’s Office will also be present. Carter Oberstone told me he will definitely be there.
All of the supes will have a chance to ask questions, and the public will have an opportunity to comment.
Given the prominent role Carter Oberstone has played in police reform and accountability, and his willingness to stand up to the previous mayor, it’s likely a good number of community advocates will be on hand, and may be contacting supervisors in the meantime.
This will, on the other hand, be a key vote for Lurie, so his office will also be putting pressure on the supes. Right now, it appears the mayor has the votes to oust Carter Oberstone.
But as any judge or defense lawyer will say, you never know with a jury.
