Ex-Fresno City Council staffer jailed after conviction on more domestic violence felonies

The Fresno Bee - 9/20/2021

Sep. 20—Daniel Gai, a former staffer for Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, was found guilty Monday of two counts of criminal threats stemming from a 2019 domestic violence incident.

The incident that involved Gai assaulting two women also resulted in him pleading no contest to one count of committing corporal injury on spouse or cohabitant, three counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and one count of child endangerment.

Judge Jeffrey Hamilton decided Gai's fate on the felony criminal threat charges. Gai's attorney Eric Schweitzer argued that his client was possibly under the influence of a drug and his perception of reality was severely impaired the night of May 16, 2019.

"His impaired perception had unintended consequences," Schweitzer said.

Prosecutor Heather Spurling said it was clear Gai knew what he was doing that night, including choking his fiance until she nearly passed out.

Hamilton said that as inexplicable as it may seem for Gai to behave so violently, he was not convinced Gai didn't have a grip on reality the day of the incident.

Gai was taken into custody after the judge's verdict. He will be sentenced on Oct. 8 in Dept. 54.

Gai resigned from his position in Bredefeld's office earlier this month after he pleaded no contest to five felonies related to a 2019 domestic violence incident.

Last week, Gai was facing up to 10 years in prison on the five initial felonies he pleaded no contest to. With the additional charges he was convicted of Monday, the maximum punishment for him could be 11 years and four months in prison.

Monday's conviction comes days after an argument erupted in Fresno City Council chambers among council members over the case.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published September 20, 202111:45 AM.

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