FORT BRAGG - On May 10, 2018, Charles Wendell Holmes, 49, of Fort Bragg, was found guilty of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury to another. According to evidence processed by the California Department of Justice forensic toxicology lab, Holmes was driving under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana.
“California Department of Justice criminalists are instrumental in criminal cases,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona. “Their work provides answers for investigators and helps to convict or exonerate defendants on trial. Drugged driving threatens all of us out on the road and claims lives.”
The Mendocino County Superior Court jury also found true a special allegation that more than one person was injured during the defendant's unlawful driving. After the jury was excused, the court found true, a separate special allegation that Holmes had previously served a prior prison term and had not stayed free of custody and conviction for more than five years.
Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2018.