A Martinez Republican arrested for pouring coffee on former Columbia County Commissioner Dewey Galeas during a political meeting in February has been sentenced.
Linda Gleason Parnell, 67, entered an Alford plea to a charge of simple battery on Dec. 15. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while acknowledging the prosecution has enough evidence for a conviction. The court treated the plea as a guilty plea.
Superior Court Judge Sheryl B. Jolly sentenced Parnell to 12 months, which she may serve on probation.
As part of her sentence, Parnell must pay Galeas $112 for his soiled shirt and is prohibited from having “tumultuous contact” with him outside of political party meetings. She was also ordered to pay $100 in court fines and must report to her probation office no later than Jan. 6.
The incident occurred Feb. 22 at Stevens Creek Church, where deputies were called to investigate a reported battery during an event sponsored by the Columbia County Republican Committee. It was captured on video.
Galeas, the county’s former Columbia County District 4 commissioner, told deputies he was seated at a table speaking with attendees when Parnell approached and began shouting at him to hurry up. When he told her he had things under control, she repeatedly told him to shut up, according to a sheriff’s report.
About 15 minutes later, as Galeas stood up to leave the table, Parnell approached him and tossed lukewarm coffee onto his chest and face, the report states.
Parnell claimed she tripped and said, “It’s on video.” She then left the event without apologizing or offering assistance to clean up the spill.
Galeas told deputies he had known Parnell for about a decade and that the two had not gotten along in recent years.
Deputies reviewed security footage that showed Parnell throwing the coffee underhand, according to the report. When deputies later located her at home, Parnell said the spill was accidental and acknowledged that she and Galeas did not get along, adding that she had campaigned against him in the past.
As she was being arrested, Parnell reportedly said the coffee toss “looked like an accident,” before adding, “well, it was an accident.”
