A preliminary listening to within the home violence case in opposition to Nathan Ballard, a former aide to Gov. Gavin Newsom, revealed new, disturbing particulars within the incident, during which he’s accused of making an attempt to suffocate his 4-year-old daughter with a pillow.
Napa County Superior Court docket Choose Scott R.L. Younger stated there was possible trigger for the 2 home violence expenses transfer ahead to trial, a ruling he issued Wednesday after testimony from three investigators concerned within the case.
The listening to got here practically six months after the incident on Oct. 17, when Ballard, his spouse, Mara Ballard, and two younger kids visited the Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa for an in a single day getaway.
Investigators stated on that night Ballard consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and instigated a struggle together with his spouse, pushing her right into a glass door after which mendacity on prime of their 4-year-old daughter with a pillow, constricting the woman’s respiratory. Ballard’s spouse reported the alleged assault to the Napa County Sheriff’s Workplace the next day.
Through the preliminary listening to on Wednesday, Napa County Deputy District Legal professional Kecia Lind painted Ballard as a person who’s a hazard to his spouse and youngsters, and stated had it not been for the swift actions of Ballard’s spouse, the accidents to the couple’s daughter might have been far worse.
Tony Brass, Ballard’s lawyer, argued that the case ought to as a substitute be tried as a misdemeanor moderately than a felony. He framed the evening as a nasty, drunken outburst, however stated his consumer had by no means supposed to hurt his little one and was asleep throughout the alleged smothering.
Napa County Sheriff’s Workplace Deputy Sheriff Gary Donaldson testified that Ballard’s spouse reported her husband had consumed wine, beer, champagne and whiskey on the night in query.
Ballard’s spouse instructed deputies Ballard then entered the room the place their daughter was sleeping, grabbed a pillow and lay down on prime of the woman whereas calling her a “b—.”
Ballard’s spouse “stated that their daughter started bawling and was flailing her arms and ft at the moment,” Donaldson stated. Prosecutors stated Ballard’s spouse was capable of kick Ballard off of the woman earlier than the 2 fled to a different room.
In a separate interview with the daughter, Napa County Detective Cecil Brown stated the woman recalled that she was not capable of breathe when her father was on prime of her.
“She instructed me that she yelled for her mother, and he or she tried to kick her father off,” Brown stated.
Throughout cross-examination by Brass, Brown stated the woman reported that her father was loud night breathing and asleep throughout the incident. Brass stated this reveals his consumer wasn’t intending to harm the woman, however moderately “face-planting drunk.”
“The extent of willfulness right here is just about zero,” Brass instructed the courtroom.
Ballard added that his consumer has accomplished a voluntary, one-month restoration program and is energetic in a 12-step program.
Ballard was current in courtroom however didn’t publicly communicate throughout the listening to. His arraignment is scheduled for Might 18.
Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle employees author. Electronic mail: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
