Mark Sidran

Mark Sidran (born July 7, 1951) is a former Seattle City Attorney, serving three terms from 1990 to 2002. He is remembered most for his controversial "civility" laws.[1][2]

Mark Sidran
Seattle City Attorney
In office
1990–2002
Succeeded byTom Carr
Personal details
BornJuly 7, 1951
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceSeattle, Washington
Alma materHarvard University
University of Washington School of Law
OccupationLawyer
Politician

Early life

Sidran grew up in the Rainier Valley neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. He attended Franklin High School alongside future-Governor Gary Locke and was elected Class President during his senior year.[3] In 1973, he graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor's degree in Government. He then returned to Seattle to attend the University of Washington School of Law, graduating in 1976 with a Juris Doctor.[4] Sidran is Jewish.[5]

Sidran spent ten years (1975-1985) as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Later, as head of the Juvenile Division, he played a major role in the child molestation prosecution of Judge Gary Little.[6]

From 1986 to 1989, Sidran was a partner at McKay & Gaitan.[7] He was also a Special Counsel to Governor Booth Gardner.[5]

In 1990, Sidran ran for and was elected Seattle City Attorney. Sidran was highly controversial for his "no broken windows" approach to law enforcement.[8] He has been called the Rudy Giuliani of Seattle.[9] For example, he sponsored civility ordinances against public urination, public drinking, aggressive panhandling, sleeping in parks, sitting on sidewalks, and driving with a suspended license. His supporters have claimed that these ordinances cleaned up the city significantly, while detractors claim that they unfairly harass the homeless.[4][10][11]

Political career

In 2001, Sidran became the Commissioner of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.[5]

In 2001, Sidran ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Seattle, losing to Greg Nickels.[12] Nickels won with 50.1 percent of the vote compared to Sidran's 48.4 percent.[13] Both candidates had outpolled mayor Paul Schell in the primary. Nickels overcame Sidran's two-to-one fundraising advantage and near-monopoly on press endorsements.

In 2004, Sidran ran unsuccessfully for Attorney General of Washington, losing to Deborah Senn in the primary. [14]

References
  1. Local News | Mark Sidran: Not your Seattle stereotype | Seattle Times Newspaper
  2. Seattle News and Events | The Return of Mr. Civility
  3. The many names of Mark Sidran | The Daily
  4. Mark Sidran's Seattle - Seattle News - City - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper
  5. Mark Sidran's Biography - Project Vote Smart
  6. Seattle News and Events | The Happy Martyr
  7. Guide to the Mark Sidran Subject Files 1990-2002
  8. San Francisco looks to Seattle: Did sidewalk sitting ban help? - seattlepi.com
  9. Jeremy Lott on Mark Sidran on National Review Online
  10. The Mark Sidran Rap Sheet
  11. Mitchell, Don (1997). "The annihilation of space by law: the roots and implications of anti‐homeless laws in the United States". Antipode. 29 (3): 303–335. doi:10.1111/1467-8330.00048.
  12. Seattle News and Events | Legal trouble
  13. https://historylink.org/File/3664
  14. The Seattle Times: Regional politics: McKenna wins, Senn leading in attorney general campaigns.
Political offices
Preceded by
 Seattle City Attorney
1990–2002		 Succeeded by
Tom Carr
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