Michael Edward Blahut found guilty of deploying tear gas, battery and hit and run

A Mendocino County Superior Court jury returned from its deliberations Wednesday afternoon with multiple guilty verdicts against the trial defendant.

Michael Edward Blahut, age 45, generally of Redwood Valley, was found guilty of two separate felony counts of deploying tear gas against citizens. He was also found guilty of battery with serious bodily injury, a felony; and hit-and-run driving, a misdemeanor.

The jury found the defendant not guilty of resisting or delaying a peace officer, charged as a misdemeanor.

On Monday, the first day of jury selection, the defendant also plead no contest outside the presence of the jury to driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol of .08 or greater, both as misdemeanors.

The defendant also waived jury on Monday and asked for a bifurcated court trial on special allegations charged by the DA that Blahut has suffered two prior DUI convictions within the last 10 years. That court trial will also decide if the defendant willfully refused a chemical test on demand of a peace officer.  That court trial on the special allegations is calendared for Wednesday, February 13th in Department B of the Ukiah courthouse.

The attorney who presented the People's evidence at trial was Deputy District Attorney Luke Oakley. The investigating law enforcement agencies were the Ukiah Police Department and the California Department of Justice forensic laboratories,

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Cindee Mayfield is the trial judge and will continue to preside over the court trial next week and the sentencing hearing down the road.