Some cases fly through the court system, others creep. The cases against Ryan Baruxes and Charles Damato were creepers but have now both concluded. The two men were charged with assault with a deadly weapon, plus hate crime enhancements after a late night alcohol related brawl at the Village in Mammoth two years ago.

At the time of the incident in February of 2006, Mammoth Police said that they responded to reports of four people in a fight at a parking lot across from the village. When Officers arrived, they found two injured people who alleged that Damato and Baruxes had targeted them with racial slurs and beat them with cast iron motorcycle stands.

The hate crime enhancements could have added 2-4 years if the men had been convicted of the assault charges. In November, Baruxes plead to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to time served.

Damato plead to felony assault with a deadly weapon in November, but due to scheduling conflicts he was not sentenced until last week.

Deputy DA Todd Graham reports that he had argued for three years in prison for Damato. Judge Stan Eller sentenced Damato to 90 days in jail. In addition to a third DUI charge from a separate case carrying 120 days, Graham reports that Damato will spend 210 days in the Mono County jail.

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