# Mark Sidran

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{{short description|American lawyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name        = Mark Sidran
| office      = [Seattle City Attorney](/source/Seattle_City_Attorney)
| term_start  = January 1, 1990
| term_end    = January 1, 2002
| predecessor = Douglas Jewett
| successor   = [Tom Carr](/source/Tom_Carr_(politician))
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1951|07|07}}
| alma_mater  = [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University)<br />[University of Washington School of Law](/source/University_of_Washington_School_of_Law)
| party       = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
| occupation  = Lawyer<br />Politician
}}

'''Mark Sidran''' (born July 7, 1951) is a former [Seattle City Attorney](/source/Seattle_City_Attorney), serving three terms from 1990 to 2002. He is remembered most for his controversial "civility" laws.<ref>[https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20010905/sidran05m/mark-sidran-not-your-seattle-stereotype Local News | Mark Sidran: Not your Seattle stereotype | Seattle Times Newspaper<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.seattleweekly.com/2004-03-31/news/the-return-of-mr-civility/ Seattle News and Events | The Return of Mr. Civility<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Early life==
Sidran grew up in the [Rainier Valley](/source/Rainier_Valley%2C_Seattle) neighborhood of [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington). He attended [Franklin High School](/source/Franklin_High_School_(Seattle)) alongside future-Governor [Gary Locke](/source/Gary_Locke) and was elected Class President during his senior year.<ref>[http://dailyuw.com/archive/2001/10/30/imported/many-names-mark-sidran#.UeO4-mQY1F8 The many names of Mark Sidran | The Daily<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1973, he graduated from [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University) with a [bachelor's degree](/source/bachelor's_degree) in government. He then returned to Seattle to attend the [University of Washington School of Law](/source/University_of_Washington_School_of_Law), graduating in 1976 with a [Juris Doctor](/source/Juris_Doctor).<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=6943 Mark Sidran's Seattle – Seattle News – City – The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Sidran is Jewish.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/51628/mark-sidran#.UeO47GQY1F8 Mark Sidran's Biography – Project Vote Smart<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Legal career==
Sidran spent ten years (1975-1985) as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the [King County](/source/King_County%2C_Washington) 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](/source/Gary_Little_(judge)).<ref>[http://www.seattleweekly.com/1998-08-12/news/the-happy-martyr/ Seattle News and Events | The Happy Martyr<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

From 1986 to 1989, Sidran was a partner at McKay & Gaitan.<ref>[http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv62585 Guide to the Mark Sidran Subject Files 1990-2002<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He was also a Special Counsel to [Governor](/source/Governor_of_Washington) [Booth Gardner](/source/Booth_Gardner).<ref name=autogenerated2 />

In 1990, Sidran ran for and was elected [Seattle City Attorney](/source/Seattle_City_Attorney). Sidran was highly controversial for his "[no broken windows](/source/Broken_windows_theory)" approach to law enforcement.<ref>[http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/San-Francisco-looks-to-Seattle-Did-sidewalk-888774.php San Francisco looks to Seattle: Did sidewalk sitting ban help? – seattlepi.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He has been called the [Rudy Giuliani](/source/Rudy_Giuliani) of Seattle.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130717080507/http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-lott091001.shtml Jeremy Lott on Mark Sidran on National Review Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>[http://www.zipcon.net/~jvf4119/mark_sidran_rap_sheet.htm#thoughts The Mark Sidran Rap Sheet<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mitchell|first1=Don|title=The annihilation of space by law: the roots and implications of anti-homeless laws in the United States|journal=Antipode|date=1997|volume=29|issue=3|pages=303–335|doi=10.1111/1467-8330.00048|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Political career==
In 2001, Sidran became the Commissioner of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission.<ref name=autogenerated2 />

In [2001](/source/2001_Seattle_mayoral_election), Sidran ran unsuccessfully for [Mayor of Seattle](/source/Mayor_of_Seattle), losing to [Greg Nickels](/source/Greg_Nickels).<ref>[http://www.seattleweekly.com/2001-10-24/news/legal-trouble/ Seattle News and Events | Legal trouble<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Nickels won with 50.1 percent of the vote compared to Sidran's 48.4 percent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://historylink.org/File/3664|title=Seattle voters elect Greg Nickels mayor on November 6, 2001}}</ref> 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](/source/2004_Washington_Attorney_General_election), Sidran ran unsuccessfully for [Attorney General of Washington](/source/Attorney_General_of_Washington), losing the primary to [Deborah Senn](/source/Deborah_Senn) who was in turn defeated by [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [Rob McKenna](/source/Rob_McKenna) in the general election.<ref>[http://seattletimes.com/html/regionalpolitics/2002035867_ag15m.html The Seattle Times: Regional politics: McKenna wins, Senn leading in attorney general campaigns.<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Douglas Jewett}}
{{s-ttl|title=[Seattle City Attorney](/source/Seattle_City_Attorney)|years=1990–2002}}
{{s-aft|after=[Tom Carr](/source/Tom_Carr_(politician))}}
{{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidran, Mark}}
Category:1951 births
Category:Living people
Category:Harvard University alumni
Category:University of Washington School of Law alumni
Category:Politicians from Seattle
Category:Seattle City attorneys
Category:Franklin High School (Seattle) alumni

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mark Sidran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sidran) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sidran?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.