Published April 07. 2017 02:46PM
Following a one-day trial Thursday, a Carbon County jury panel found a Summit Hill man guilty of two criminal counts - obstruction of the administration of law and other government functions and persistent disorder conduct, both misdemeanors.
Judge Steven R. Serfass found Leonzi guilty of summary offenses of disorder conduct, duties at stop signs, signal improper (failing use to turn signal), and investigation by officer/duty of operator.Michael Paul Leonzi, 29, who represented himself during the trial, was charged by Summit Hill police officer Peter Hamati-Attieh with an incident on Jan. 7.Hamati-Attieh stopped Leonzi after he ran two stop signs and failed to use a turn signal.At the stop, the officer said Leonzi refused to give him is information - driver's license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Hamati-Attieh also said Leonzi became belligerent to the point he would not get out of his vehicle at which time the officer had to use pepper spray on the defendant.After getting Leonzi out of is 2001 Jeep Cherokee, the defendant continued to be unruly using curse words and being loud.Leonzi testified that the officer had a "thing" for him due to a prior case in 2016. He said the new case was a "boomerang effect" from last year. He said Hamati-Attieh followed him for eight blocks before he made the stop. He also denied refusing to give the officer his information.The jury got the case shortly before noon and reached its verdict at about 2:15 p.m.The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brian Gazo.Serfass deferred sentencing to a later date.