(Woodland, CA) – October 6, 2015 – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that on October 5, 2015, a jury returned a verdict of guilty after less than three hours of deliberation on the counts of driving while addicted to methamphetamine and being under the influence against 32-year-old Stuart Marston of Ukiah. The charges stem from Marston going through a DUI checkpoint on New Year’s Eve in 2014 while under the influence of methamphetamine.
The jury heard evidence that Marston drove through a DUI checkpoint located on East Main Street in Woodland on New Year’s Eve that was part of Yolo County’s Avoid the 8 Program. Yolo County Sheriff’s deputies performed a drug recognition evaluation on Marston and they determined he was under the influence of methamphetamine. Evidence showed that Marston had been using methamphetamine on a daily basis for the past fifteen years and as a result had to increase his doses. In a statement, Marston said he uses methamphetamine to feel normal, and when he is not under the influence, he feels down and depressed.
The 2014 New Year’s encounter was not Marston’s first brush with law enforcement. Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office testified about encounters dating back as far as 2004 involving Marston being under the influence of stimulants. The jury also heard evidence about seven prior convictions dating back to 2006 where Marston was convicted for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Deputy District Attorney Barry Shapiro prosecuted the case. “Methamphetamine and driving is a horrible combination,” said Shapiro. “Individuals who use methamphetamine and are addicted create a danger to other motorists due to long lasting effects of the drug on the brain – including slow reaction time.” Shapiro also praised the efforts of Yolo County Sheriff’s Deputy Sam Machado. “The jury made the right decision but without the expertise and diligence of Deputy Machado, their job would have been very challenging.”
Yolo County Superior Court Judge Daniel MaGuire is scheduled to sentence Marston on November 2, 2015 at 1:30 P.M. Marston is facing misdemeanor probation and time in custody in the county jail.
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