The following is a press release issued by the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office:
A Mendocino County Superior Court jury returned from its deliberations Thursday morning to announce it had found the trial defendant guilty.
Defendant Clayton Joel Sternick, age 44, of Willits, was found guilty of misdemeanor driving a motor vehicle while unlawfully under the influence of a drug, driving on a suspended license, and hit-and-run driving.
After the jury was thanked and excused, the defendant admitted as true that he had also previously been convicted of misdemeanor driving on a suspended license in 2018 and 2021.
The law enforcement agencies that provided testimony during this week’s retrial were the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Justice Toxicology Laboratory.
The prosecutor who presented the People’s evidence at trial was Senior Deputy District Attorney Luke Oakley.
Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder presided over the three-day trial.
