99 days

and that flurry of press releases continues. The good news is, Paul Gallegos will work hard for you at least once every four years.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2010

CONTACT: District Attorney, Paul V. Gallegos
PHONE: (707)268-2568

MICHAEL SANDOR PITEK

Today in Humboldt Superior Court, a jury returned a guilty verdict convicting Michael Sandor Pitek, 50, of Rio Dell, of driving under the influence of drugs.

On October 10, 2009, Eureka Police officer Gary Cooper saw Pitek driving the wrong way down (one-way) Sixth Street in downtown Eureka. Pitek told the officer that he was being "chased by skinheads." The officer saw no vehicles, or persons, following Pitek and also noticed that Pitek appeared agitated and that he was displaying symptoms consistent with current methamphetamine impairment and with chronic methamphetamine use. A DUI investigation was conducted, which confirmed the officer's initial suspicion. Pitek was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. Toxicologist, Nancy Enkema,, an employee of the California Department of Justice, testified that the post-arrest sample of Pitek's blood contained methamphetamine.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Ben Mainzer.

Records show more than 500 convictions for DUI offenses in Humboldt Superior Court in the first six months of 2010.

District Attorney Paul Gallegos commented "We vigorously prosecute these cases because drivers impaired by the consumption of alcohol and other drugs endanger us all.:"

The Honorable Harold E. Neville Jr., presided over the week-long trial and afterwards sentenced Pitek to 3 years of probation with a search term, to pay a fine in excess of two thousand dollars, and to serve 32 days in jail with credit for that amount already served.