47° CLOUDY, CLEAR LAKE
Delay in boat death trial
Last Modified: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 4:03 a.m.
The trial of a man charged with manslaughter in a 2006 boating accident on Clear Lake was delayed Tuesday when prosecutors requested more time to investigate new information about the case.
Lake County Deputy District Attorney John Langan said the information could aid the defense of Bismarck Dinius, who was at the helm of a sailboat when a Lake County deputy's speedboat slammed into his vessel.
Langan wants to review the personnel records of a former Lake County sheriff's sergeant who testified at Dinius' preliminary hearing last year. That officer no longer works for the Sheriff's Office.
Langan said he also wants to investigate conflicting information about the whereabouts of Deputy Russell Perdock in the hours prior to the crash that killed Lynn Thornton, 51, of Willows.
Perdock crashed into the sailboat, killing Thornton. Dinius was charged with the death because he allegedly was operating the boat under the influence of alcohol and failed to ensure the sailboat's lights were lit on a dark, nearly moonless night.
The trial is now scheduled for June 30.
-- Glenda Anderson
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