Flowers found guilty of assault and battery and obstruction of justice

Dwayne Flowers was tried on June 9 for assault and battery, reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, obstruction of justice and malicious mischief.Supreme Court Associate Justice Lourdes F. Materne in a judgment order dated June 13, acquitted Flowers from the other charges after the court did not find him guilty of the reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and malicious mischief.Associate Justice Materne set the sentencing for July 12.The maximum sentence for assault and battery is six month’s imprisonment and a $100 fine.The maximum sentence for obstruction of justice is five years imprisonment and $5,000 fine or both.Flowers appeared for trial with counsel Chief Public Defender Garth Backe while Assistant Attorney General Ronald Ledgerwood appeared on behalf of the government.Flowers was charged for beating up Sen. Baules on June 29, 2007 during a traffic violation incident.The affidavit of Bureau of Public Safety officer Alvin Ingereklii stated that Senator Baules left the Fuji restaurant and began traveling towards Belau National Hospital.On his way there, he passed a vehicle driven by Flowers.Flowers overtook the lawmaker’s vehicle and cut him off near Bem Ermii in Medalaii.Baules stopped his vehicle in the road.Flowers stopped too, reversed his vehicle and struck the front of the lawmaker’s vehicle.Flowers then exited his vehicle, approached the lawmaker’s car and pulled him out of the vehicle and began punching him several times.Flowers was stopped by some of the witnesses at the scene.Police was called. When police officers arrived at the scene, they approached Flowers.The affidavit stated that Flowers “had strong odor of alcohol and was obviously intoxicated.”The affidavit stated that responding police officers attempted to take Flowers into custody after gathering information from the witnesses but “he became combative and actively resisted arrest.”“Force had to be applied in order to subdue Flowers and place him in custody,”the affidavit stated.The affidavit added that Flowers “continued yelling obscenities throughout this time.”