A San Benito County Superior Court judge sentenced San Juan Bautista Councilman Dan De Vries on May 7 to two years of informal probation related to a 2019 domestic disturbance call that resulted in his arrest. 

According to the case file, De Vries pleaded no contest to one count of disturbing the peace, received a fine of $811 on a misdemeanor charge and was ordered to attend counseling meetings at least three times a week for at least six months. The District Attorney’s Office dismissed three other counts.

De Vries’ attorney, Greg LaForge, said the informal probation does not require the council member to report to a probation officer.

“I’m glad this regrettable, huge misunderstanding is over with,” De Vries told BenitoLink. 

On May 24, 2019 around 9 p.m., San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of Fifth Street in San Juan Bautista for a domestic disturbance report. It was there that they encountered De Vries and his wife, Rena. Deputies determined an assault had occurred, at which point De Vries was taken into custody and booked into the San Benito County Jail, where he posted bail three hours later. Captain Eric Taylor said at the time that the incident was not alcohol-related.

De Vries spoke to BenitoLink a few days after his arrest and said the incident related to difficulties with his mother’s health. He said there was no physical altercation and that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved. 

De Vries is scheduled back in court on May 29 to show proof that he has attended at least nine meetings. He is required to show proof of attending 30 meetings by July 21.

Rena told BenitoLink the couple got into a heated argument the night of the incident, but that nothing else happened. 

“Dan treats me like gold,” she said.