Approximately 21 months since his original arrest in Brown County by a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper, Chris Diaz of Mendocino, California has accepted a plea bargain.
According to officials at the Brown County District Attorney’s Office, Thursday morning Diaz and his attorney Rudy Taylor entered a plea of no contest to charges including Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Bail Jumping and Failure to Appear and a sentence to 3 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division in each case served concurrently. Diaz will receive credit of time served both in the Brown County Jail and Mendocino County Jail.
22-year-old Diaz was indicted in July of 2010 for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Martin Molotsky arrested Diaz on June 27, 2010 when he was charged with Possession of Marijuana (less than two ounces) and Manufacture of Controlled Substance, over four grams and under 400 grams. Prosecutors claimed in court that Diaz was in possession of 14 grams of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) or “hash” (a more potent form of marijuana), which has a street value of $2400.
After being initially released on $35,000 on September 15, 2011, Diaz failed to appear at a hearing on January 18th, 2011 to face charges from the June 2010 arrest and was located and extradited back to Brown County from Mendocino County California on January 10, 2011.
Diaz had since been held in the Brown County Jail on bonds totaling $168,000. His family and supporters have protested his arrest for many months claiming that the marijuana was in his possession due to a prescription from California and is used as medication for relief from asthma.
Sheriff Bobby Grubbs stated that he was glad this case is over.
“I’m glad it’s over and feel like the plea serves justice,” said Sheriff Grubbs. “I’m not totally satisfied, but that’s not my call. I’m glad to have him out of the Brown County Jail.”
Grubbs stated that the way Diaz and his supporter handled his case most likely caused him to receive a harsher penalty.
“This could have been over a long time ago and he (Diaz) might have gotten a better outcome,” said Grubbs. “With the lifestyle and the way he chooses to live, if he doesn’t change, it’s likely he’ll be back in the justice system soon after he is released.”
