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NEWS
> CRIME & COURTS
George Dias plans to take the stand at his next trial
Embattled San Juan Bautista Mayor George Dias said he will take the stand in his own defense and bring several new witnesses to testify when his misdemeanor criminal case heads back to court.
San Benito County Superior Court Judge Alan Hedegard declared a mistrial in the first proceedings on April 25. After a day-and-a-half of deliberations, the jury remained deadlocked at 10-2 in favor of guilt. A pre-trial conference to determine the setting of the next trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 15.
The Mission City's mayor spoke to the Free Lance recently about the confrontation that led to the charges, the mistrial and his expectations for the new one.
Dias said bad blood between himself and the San Benito County Sheriff's Office made deputies eager to arrest him.
Dias was charged a year ago when an altercation between he and San Benito County sheriff's Deputy Jason Leist left the officer requiring eight stitches in his face after falling into a rose bush when he had tried to arrest Dias for allegedly interfering with firefighters.
At the time, officers and firefighters had responded to Dias' property in San Juan Bautista to extinguish a trailer fire. The city official and his father George Dias Sr. were watching the blaze on their property when, according to sheriff's office reports, Leist ordered Dias to move farther back from the burning structure.
Dias allegedly refused to move and told the deputy to, "go get a real cop."
Leist attempted to arrest Dias when he continued to be uncooperative and after struggling with him for several seconds, fell into a nearby bush where his ear and cheek were cut by thorns.
When the altercation happened Dias, then a council member, had been critical of the sheriff's office, claiming it did little to protect residents of San Juan. He has been attempting to end the security contract between the town and the sheriff's office and form a San Juan Bautista Police Department.
"The sheriff doesn't like me because I questioned him, and he doesn't like to be questioned," Dias said. "We never see a sheriff patrol in San Juan. As a contract employee, the sheriff should listen to our problems. I don't feel he has."
Sheriff Curtis Hill declined to comment on the case, citing that the new trial is still pending.
San Benito County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Palacios, meanwhile, told the Free Lance he feels confident about his case against Dias, but he would not reveal any new strategies.
"I think this case, like any case, is important," Palacios said. "Especially in a situation like this where you have someone resisting arrest and an officer injury, it requires prosecution."
In the first trial, Dias' attorney Lawrence Biegel tried to paint the picture of an overly aggressive deputy who did not give Dias a chance to cooperate before he arrested him. Palacios and the prosecution attempted to show Dias as a stubborn onlooker who refused a direct order and then - by resisting arrest - caused Leist to be injured.
The next jury will try to decide what really happened.
Curtis Cartier
Curtis Cartier covers the City of Hollister and public safety for the Free Lance. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 or email him.
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