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Full Crowd Greets Stockton Mayor At First Meeting Since Strip Poker Arrest

STOCKTON (CBS13) — A full crowd in council chambers ignited into cheers and chants when the mayor of Stockton entered the room.

Tuesday's council meeting was the first since Mayor Anthony Silva was arrested last week. Silva read a prepared statement to the crowd and council.

"The Mayor is not above the law," said Silva, "I am innocent and the truth will come out."

More than a dozen Silva supporters spoke during public comments.

"We support you. If you need me, give me a call, god bless you," said one man.

Many of them saying the mayor is innocent until proven guilty.

"Keep your head up, you've done a damn good job," said Ralph White, a political activist and friend of Mayor Silva, "and when you're the people's mayor, you're going to catch heat."

During a conversation before the meeting, Silva stuck with his script, reiterating what his legal team and campaign manager have said; the timing of the arrest and charges are a political ploy.

"It's really an attempt for a character assassination three months before an election," said Silva, "that's what my enemies want is for me to go bury my head in the sand. And I'm certainly not going to do that."

Most recently Silva was arrested and charged with recording a game of strip poker with teenagers and providing them alcohol while at his youth camp in 2015.

A week prior, it was determined that his stolen gun was used in a 2015 homicide.

"As soon as I knew the gun was missing, I reported it," said Silva.

Former Stockton mayoral candidate Gary Malloy withdrew his endorsement of Silva in light of the recent arrest.

"There just has been too many things that have happened," said Malloy, "so I just, in good conscience can't support him."

Malloy was one of two people who spoke against the mayor. He's not a supporter of Tubbs either.

Malloy says the elected leaders need to move forward, give Silva his day in court and focus on improving the community.

"We'll survive, the economy's turned around and we're moving," said Malloy.

Silva is due in Amador County Superior Court on Aug. 16.

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