By Nicholas Johnson

Des Moines City Councilmember Anthony Martinelli responded Thursday to growing calls that he resign over multiple domestic violence allegations, writing on social media that the six criminal charges against him “were never true” and alleging that “from the start the case had an undeniable political element to it.

“This is why I did not resign, and why I will not resign,” Martinelli wrote on Facebook. “I will now move forward and – as I have for the past two years – do everything I can to help the city as your council member.”

Martinelli’s comments came minutes after Judge Pro Tem Karama Hawkins signed off on a three-year pretrial diversion agreement in Des Moines Municipal Court.

“If you are in compliance after 24 months, the court would entertain a motion to dismiss at that time,” Hawkins said, wishing Martinelli luck. “I am hopeful that when two years rolls around, we’ll be ready to enter orders of dismissal on these cases.”

Under the agreement, all charges could be dismissed if Martinelli complies with certain conditions, such as paying any fees, surrendering any firearms, having no criminal law violations and having no contact with protected parties.

The deal also requires Martinelli to attend a King County program that addresses the impact of family conflict on children as well as a moral reconation therapy (MRT) program “that increases accountability for offenders, provides insight into why individuals may have acted violently, and assists in confronting those tendencies in current situations,” according to a Thursday press release from the city of Des Moines.

If Martinelli fails to comply with the agreement, he would face a bench trial rather than a jury trial in which a judge would rely only on evidence presented in the city’s initial charging documents, including police reports and text-message threads.

The allegations against Martinelli were investigated by the Tukwila Police Department and the diversion agreement was negotiated between his attorney, Gina Buskirk of Puget Law Group, and attorney Abraham Ritter, a conflict prosecutor who handled the case for the city.

Martinelli was arrested Oct. 22 on six domestic violence-related charges alleging that he assaulted his partner in the presence of their young child in December 2020, and threatened to kill his partner in March 2021 and again in August 2021. On Oct. 25, Martinelli pleaded not guilty.

Upon Martinelli’s arrest, then-Mayor Matt Pina released a statement urging him to resign from the council. Martinelli’s term runs through 2023.

In a 5-1 vote Nov. 18, the council formally censured Martinelli in light of the allegations against him, removing him from his committee assignments – the Ad Hoc Franchise Committee, and the Public Safety and Emergency Management Committee – through Dec. 31, 2021.

Following additional allegations of domestic violence and abuse by two of Martinelli’s former partners reported Monday in The Seattle Times, Mayor Matt Mahoney as well as the 33rd District Democrats called on Martinelli to resign. A Change.org petition calling on Martinelli to resign had garnered 140 signatures as of Thursday.

VIDEO
Below is video of Martinelli’s Des Moines Municipal Court Hearing:

https://youtu.be/Sm3_5yknVvE?t=1567

 

Nicholas Johnson (he/him) is an award-winning writer, editor and photographer who grew up in Boulevard Park, graduated from Highline High School and studied journalism at Western Washington University. Send news tips, story ideas and positive vibes to [email protected].

2 replies on “After judge OKs diversion deal, Des Moines Councilmember Martinelli says ‘I will not resign’ over domestic violence allegations”

  1. Martinelli has now admitted himself into what the court calls a “Batterer Intervention Program” while he insists he was never guilty of anything. The typical program lasts from 8 weeks to a year. With all the evidence against him, including the new victims coming forward, he will have to remain consistent in this recovery program for up to 3 years. See the following link for information:

    https://youtu.be/h4BoIOXByzs

    Though he refuses to resign, he told the court this morning that his address is now in Spanaway and no longer in Des Moines. Every elected official, as well as City Manager, must live in the city in which they serve. This will need to be addressed quickly.

    This entire ordeal has been such a disgrace to our beautiful city. When he campaigned he promised transparency, not denial. Now we will see how “transparent” he is. At a minimum, I would expect regular reports from him on how his intervention is working. He has lost ALL committee assignments. He does NOTHING other than appearing on a Zoom Council Meeting to get paid. He might as well talk about recovering from being an abuser. Maybe some good can come from it.

    An elected representative would be wise to step aside to deal with such matters in private. Martinelli is “feeding off all this” for any attention he can get. His personal insecurity as a man has never been dealt with. Forfeiting his seat is not an option for him. He’s addicted to “the position” which gives him his only (false) sense of validation.

    As I’ve stated all along . . . You cannot lead publicly where you don’t go privately. His character disorder has been his downfall.

  2. We so second what Robert just said! Anthony has done absolutely nothing, nothing for our city Council or our city! He continues to argue immaturely spouting off Ridiculous crazy ideas and accusations against other council members! Him and his buddy Harris think this is a clown show! Anthony lives in Spanaway now and must remain away from his victim. He must leave our city Council immediately! He needs to be a big boy and let somebody that knows how to run a city and has good ideas and profitable ideas. Anthony has no business on the Des Moines city Council, he has no experience and he is a abuser! Let’s not forget he threatened two times to kill his wife and baby. Is this who you want on the city Council?

Comments are closed.