Former Mayor Lovely Warren eyes run for Rochester City Court. What we know now

Former Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, who had to abandon her office as part of a plea deal to an election law misdemeanor, is planning a run for Rochester City Court.

Should she secure enough petition signatures, she would be a candidate in a primary against the Democratic candidate, local lawyer Michael Geraci. Warren is also a lawyer.

While there have been rumblings for weeks that Warren might enter the race, she confirmed her plans on Monday both on her Facebook page and in an interview with local radio host Bob Lonsberry on WHAM radio.

"After careful consideration and conversing with my daughter and family, I am starting to collect signatures to get on the ballot for Rochester City Court,"' Warren wrote on Facebook. "I come to this as an open book. You know what I went through. I’ve been an attorney for 20 years. I’ve had to deal with the Criminal Justice System personally, which has allowed me to grow as a person, as a mother, and become a better lawyer."

In October 2021, then Mayor Warren agreed to leave the office as part of her plea deal.

Warren admitted that she knowingly exceeded allowed campaign contribution limits during her 2017 re-election campaign. She admitted to a misdemeanor; a felony conviction would have included immediate removal from office and the likely loss of her law license.

The plea also resolved other outstanding criminal charges of criminal possession of a firearm and misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Those charges arose from the arrest of her estranged husband, Timothy Granison, who lived with Warren, and his role in a local drug trafficking ring. Granison faced the same charges.

Warren maintained that guns in the home were his, that she did not know he was dealing drugs, and that there was no drug dealing from their shared home. Her daughter was safe and not at risk, she said. There never was evidence in court papers or testimony that drugs were sold from the home and that Warren was aware of Granison's crimes.

Granison pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in the drug ring and was sentenced to federal prison. He is still in custody of the Bureau of Prisons through a residential halfway house program, according to federal records. His custody is scheduled to end in June.

On her Facebook page, Warren wrote: "The majority of people that are touched by the criminal justice are black and brown people, and these are the folks that I have spent my entire career fighting for.

"I understand the impact that the criminal justice system has on the accused and its impact on families. I have made my share of mistakes and as part of that there are many things that I regret but all of that has made me a better person, better mom and able to relate to victims and make sure the scales of justice balances for all."

Warren was the first woman and first Black woman elected mayor in Rochester. She was first elected in 2013.

Throughout her tenure, there were accomplishments, such as with commercial development and some neighborhood rehabilitation, that boosted her support among both the residential and business community.

But the criminal charges brought an abrupt end to her career as mayor, just as she was considering another bid for re-election. Also, during her final year her administration was riven by questions of whether it tried to cover up facts about the death of Daniel Prude, whose death was partly attributed to asphyxiation by police who restrained him awaiting a medical unit after an arrest.

The Democrat and Chronicle reached out to Warren for comment but received no response.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Lovely Warren eyes run for Rochester NY City Court