LAKE COUNTY ? The Lake County Sheriff”s Office posted all the files in the case against Bismarck Dinius Thursday on the office”s Web Site in an effort to answer questions from the public.
A jury found Dinius of Carmichael, not guilty for felony and misdemeanor boating under the influence charges Aug. 20. He was originally charged with manslaughter as well, but the district attorney dropped the charge before the trial. The district attorney also dropped misdemeanor boating with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more because the jury deadlocked 11-1 for acquittal.
Dinius was at the tiller of Mark Weber”s sailboat April 29, 2006 when off-duty Capt. Russell Perdock of the LCSO collided with the vessel with his powerboat. Sailboat passenger Lynn Thornton died as a result of the crash.
“It is my duty to take every step necessary to fulfill our mission ? SECURE THE PUBLIC”S TRUST,” Sheriff Rod Mitchell said in a press release. “Transparency is an important part of that process.”
Elizabeth Larson, Phil Murphy and Helen Whitney will collect questions from other citizens, then Mitchell or other officers will respond.
A PDF file, mp3 files of 9-1-1 calls, photos and soon videos will be available at http://lakesheriff.com. The files and instructions are in links on the home page.
“It is also my obligation to ensure that the members of this department are able to function effectively,” Mitchell said in a press release. “They are both community members and service providers who must operate secure in the knowledge that the general public maintains confidence in them.”
