Pearce goes public with allegations of harassment and domestic violence

[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”https://signal-tribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-30-at-11.39.12-AM.png” credit=”File photo” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Second District Long Beach Councilmember Jeannine Pearce this week issued a statement through her attorney to partially explain her silence about a police stop in the early hours of June 3 and the events later that morning at her home that led to the arrest of Devin Cotter, her former chief of staff.” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”] By: CJ Dablo
Staff Writer
Right before the Independence Day holiday, Long Beach Councilmember Pearce released a public statement through her attorney to partially explain her silence about a police stop in the early hours of June 3 and the events later that morning at her home that led to the arrest of Devin Cotter, her former chief of staff.
“As elected officials,” she said in her statement, “we take an oath of office to protect residents and prioritize the best interest of the city as a whole. I am fully committed to continuing to represent and lead the 2nd District as a Long Beach city council member. Recently there has been both interest and speculation as it relates to my personal life. While privacy is incredibly important to me, I have always championed transparency for members of elected office. In this spirit, I am stating publicly that the Long Beach Police Department is currently investigating multiple incidences of domestic violence committed against me.”
Pearce continued in her statement to briefly describe herself as a victim of harassment and stalking, and she also suggested that she is a victim of domestic violence.
A press release from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) had already confirmed some of the details that have been reported in several media outlets in the last few weeks. Around 2:40am, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers discovered a parked car facing southbound in the painted median at the 710 Freeway, north of the Golden Shore exit near the downtown area. CHP called LBPD officers to the scene to investigate a “possible domestic violence and driving-under-the influence incident.” Pearce, who had been the driver, passed the field sobriety test.
“LBPD did not find sufficient cause for arrest related to a domestic-violence incident or driving under the influence,” states the press release.
The statement goes on to describe the events that took place after that initial police stop on the median off the freeway. Pearce eventually asked a friend to take her home, while LBPD officers took Cotter to his home. However, when Pearce was returning to her house around 6am, Cotter “confronted” her. Pearce drove away and called the police, who later found her former staffer and arrested him for public intoxication. They also learned that Cotter already had “an active $50,000 warrant for driving under the influence.”
Cotter’s current attorney, Bryan Schroeder, confirmed that his client’s previous arrest for driving under the influence dates back to 2014. Schroeder said that his client had believed mistakenly at the time that he did not have to enroll in classes, and his client resolved that issue by immediately enrolling in the necessary alcohol classes.
His attorney confirmed that Cotter served only hours in jail. Cotter was released on bail.
Schroeder, who has been representing Cotter since his June arrest, said that his client is not the perpetrator of domestic violence, but he did have injuries. Schroeder declined to elaborate on the nature of those injuries and how he came to be injured.
Cotter’s LinkedIn profile reveals his ties to the political life of Long Beach. He served as Pearce’s chief of staff from July 2016 to February 2017.
Prior to his work with the councilmember, he served as a campaign manager for Mayor Robert Garcia’s election run in 2014 and then later served as the mayor’s legislative deputy for two years.
Currently, Cotter is the owner of Bullhorn Consulting, based in downtown Long Beach. State records confirm he filed the company’s articles of incorporation in December 2016. His firm specializes in political campaigns and government affairs, according to LinkedIn.
Since the news broke shortly after Cotter’s arrest, Pearce has faced ongoing pressure to address the issue. Initially, Pearce had declined to make a statement to media outlets, explaining that the incident was a private matter. In a phone interview, the Signal Tribune asked Michele Dobson, Pearce’s attorney, why the councilmember had released a statement three weeks later.
“Initially, she really did hope that it would just stop on its own,” Dobson said, explaining that many victims often think that their abusers would stop of their own volition. “But, as it escalated, [!] she realized that it wasn’t going to stop unless she took some type of action.”
Dobson was specifically asked about the nature of their dispute and whether Pearce and Cotter have any kind of personal relationship outside of their professional relationship. Dobson declined to comment on that question until after Pearce’s scheduled interview with the police department next week.
Pearce herself indicated the reasons for taking the matter public weeks after news broke.
“While I am personally focused on healing and supporting my daughter in understanding the alteration in our lifestyle as a result of the need to take measures to protect my personal safety, which is standard practice for victims of domestic violence,” she wrote in her statement, “I continue to devote myself professionally to representing and championing the 2nd District. Unfortunately, since late last year I have experienced escalating threats, harassment and stalking.”
Pearce particularly praised her husband, Ryan Pearce, for being a “phenomenal” co-parent to their daughter.
Pearce’s attorney explained the events that led up to her client’s press release. She said there was a “heated exchange” on June 3 between Pearce and Cotter in the car parked in the median off the 710 Freeway, but that exchange was verbal at that point, not physical. However, Dobson said that Pearce has been the subject of unwanted stalking, calls, texts and emails, even after the June 3 incident.
Her attorney further described what Pearce meant by her allusions to domestic violence.
Dobson explained that if an individual continues to follow a victim and still attempts to contact an individual with texts, calls and emails after being told to stop, those actions could be considered domestic violence.
“Stalking and threatening someone, even if it is not physical,” Dobson concluded, “is also domestic violence.”
Cotter’s attorney was asked about the allegations of stalking and harassment.
“I am defending Mr. Cotter!with respect to the 647(f) charges that have been made.” Schroeder said. “I know of no investigation that relates to Mr. Cotter as relates to [!] stalking and/or harassment.”
California Penal Code 647(f) deals with the misdemeanor for being drunk in public. Schroeder was asked about the allegations of domestic violence.
“The only investigation I know of that is part of this matter as it relates to Mr. Cotter is related to injuries that he sustained,” he replied.
His attorney declined to comment further on the dispute between Pearce and Cotter on the morning of June 3 or the nature of Cotter’s injuries, but he did say that he believed that the police are investigating that matter.
“I can tell you that Mr. Cotter has, in no way, been the perpetrator of any domestic violence in any way, shape or form,” Schroeder concluded. “Any allegations or insinuations as to that effect are completely false.”
City Prosecutor Doug Haubert acknowledged that Cotter was previously arrested for drunk driving in his jurisdiction. He did plead guilty at that time, Haubert said, and Cotter was sentenced to “standard terms and conditions for drunk driving.” He further described those standard conditions, which include probation, fines, attending certain classes and “other conditions that are designed to prevent future violations of the law, especially drunk driving.”
Cotter’s recent arrest on a new charge related to alcohol may be problematic for the terms of his probation.
Haubert said that even though Cotter was arrested in 2014 for that DUI, his probation period lasts three years from the time he pled guilty in 2015.
“The office had not received any case filing from law enforcement regarding a domestic-violence incident involving Ms. Pearce,” Haubert added. “It’s not uncommon for it to take some time for a case to be investigated before it’s presented to a prosecution agency.”
Haubert did acknowledge that since both Pearce and Cotter worked for the City, he did know them.
“We’re not going to treat this case any different than any other case we have,” he said.
Pearce’s attorney acknowledged that the councilmember is currently out of town.
Pearce herself has not shied away from her public duties. She still took her usual place on the dais in the City Hall Council Chamber the week after the news broke of her dispute with her former staffer and continued to serve in her capacity to represent the 2nd District in other meetings and events.