Sonoma City Council candidate opens up about past run-ins with the law

Candidate describes earlier substance-abuse issues as ‘a demon in my life’|

Sonoma City Council candidate Christopher Petlock opened up this week about a series of past run-ins with the law, which took place, he says, decades ago. “I used to have terrible problems with drugs and alcohol. This is a demon in my life,” he said.

When Petlock, 45, announced he was running for council in mid-August, he posted a statement on his campaign Facebook page, reading in part, “My lifelong friends here in Sonoma know that I was an indiscriminate, and sometimes inconsiderate young man. Decades ago, I had a few run-ins with the law because of substance and alcohol abuse in my teens and twenties.

“When my wife and I were a young couple and first married we had some domestic troubles that we long ago worked through together…. I want to share this with you for transparency as I am, many years later, asking for your confidence with your vote.”

It was about that time that multiple communications reached the Index-Tribune about Petlock’s past.

According to a Sonoma County courts record search, Petlock had been charged in six court cases dating from 1995 to 2005, a span of 10 years during which Petlock, then in his 20s and early 30s, faced charges of possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, vandalism and domestic violence.

“I think people would tell you, ‘God, Chris was a wild man,” Petlock told the Index-Tribune in a recent series of interviews. “I had a real problem with drugs and alcohol that I’ve really struggled with. I don’t know if I’ve put it behind me forever, but it’s certainly been in hiatus for a long time. I’ve worked really hard.”

The charges have all been resolved in court through a combination of fines, probation, volunteer service, a state diversion program called Project Intercept and at least one temporary restraining order.

When contacted about the court records, Petlock said the first domestic charge, dating from 1997, came about “when my step-father asked me to leave the house.” That was the incident that resulted in a restraining order, which expired in 2000, according to Sonoma County court records.

Two of the charges dealt with substance abuse – an earlier 1995 charge of possession of a controlled substance, and a 2003 DUI charge. He admitted that he had spent the night in jail on two occasions, once to sober up.

The most recent incident – which took place on Sept. 26, 2005 – is described by the candidate as “the worst day of my life.”

“It really woke me up,” he said.

Multiple charges against Petlock emerged from that late afternoon incident, which took place at the El Verano home of Petlock and his wife, Rachael.

The Petlocks spoke frankly with the Index-Tribune about the incident.

“That day we were at the Vintage Festival – we were both having a really good time and had too much to drink and were just arguing with each other. Honestly, that’s really all I recall,” said Petlock.

His wife doesn’t remember much about the incident either, though she also admits they had a lot to drink. “There’s a few things that he remembers and I don’t. It’s kind of a blur.”

She does remember coming home from the Vintage Festival, which they had attended with another couple, and not even making it to the front door of the home before the arguing started.

“We got back to our place and were going to barbecue,” she said. “We were yelling out front. Honestly, it takes two – whatever the argument was over, I just couldn’t let it go.”

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office do not give out details of domestic violence cases as a general rule, said Sgt. Spencer Crum, citing victim confidentiality. Yet when deputies respond to a call, according to the protocol followed by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s office, “It is highly encouraged an arrest be made when there is probable cause to believe that a felony or misdemeanor domestic violence offense has been committed.”

According to Crum, the Sheriff’s Office took 508 domestic violence reports in the last calendar year, 2017, out of a total of 10,549 reports.

Two of the charges originally filed were a misdemeanor for attempting to prevent or dissuade a victim or a witness from contacting law enforcement; and a felony under a penal code section which can apply to cutting or disconnecting a phone line.

A related battery charge was also filed. His wife admitted that she had been injured, “from a combination of Chris and the wine,” though she didn’t require treatment at the scene.

In both the intimidation charges and the domestic violence charges, the felony was dismissed when he entered a guilty plea on the misdemeanor count; the cases did not go to trial.

Instead Petlock was fined and served 20 hours of volunteer work. He also was put on standard three-year probation that forbade the use of alcohol or controlled substances, possession of firearms, and was subject to warrantless search and seizure and random chemical tests. His probation ended in May, 2009.

Because of the battery charge, he also had to participate in what he recalls as an anger management program lasting two months. Then, he said, he continued with counseling beyond what he was required to do – “for a long time,” he recalled. He drew on his personal insurance for the counseling, which included Rachael in some sessions, she recalls.

“Chris even continued after he did what he was supposed to do,” she said. “He continued for awhile working on himself.”

As a political figure and candidate, Petlock may be subject to more public scrutiny than he has been in the past. Previous city council members have gotten into trouble, and one of them, Larry Murphy, spoke to the Index-Tribune about it.

“In my view it’s not a matter that qualifies by most standards of journalistic practice to be reported unless it somehow becomes a legitimate news item,” said Larry Murphy, a former councilman and mayor. “My DUI was a legitimate news item as I was Mayor at the time.”

Continued Murphy: “Off the top of my head, my sense is presumably that Chris Petlock has not denied any charges, has not hidden any facts, has taken responsibility for his behavior, accepted the consequences, and is therefore qualified to let the voters make their choice.”

Larry Barnett, another former council member and mayor, also respected Petlock’s openness about the issue. “That’s always a welcome thing, when somebody who’s in the public eye gets out in front of an issue that could cause some discomfort,” Barnett said. “That’s kind of refreshing – we see national figures who try to cover things up, and just get caught in the web of their own lies.”

“I can’t think of a previous council member or candidate who had these kind of public issues,” said Ken Brown, likewise a longtime city council member and former mayor.

Today Petlock says, “That incident with my wife was ultimately a real inflection point for me. I turned my life around, I really put my heart into not being that person anymore, and I’m not that person any more… I worked very hard to be a better person.”

In his Facebook post, he cites his time coaching youth sports, nine years on the City of Sonoma Community Services and Environmental Commission, and his current job as administration and finance manager for the Valley of the Moon Water District. He got a master’s degree in business administration seven years ago, from the University of Phoenix.

“I’ve got nothing to hide. I am what I am,” he said. “If I was scared of my past I wouldn’t have run for office… If someone wants to talk about it that’s what they want to do. If they don’t want to talk about what’s going on today but stuff from my past, that I’m not allowed to have redemption, then that says more about them than it says about me.”

When told that the tips that the paper was investigating were anonymous, Petlock said, “I’m sure they were. I can only imagine. These are mean times.”

Contact Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.

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