Malibu City Councilman Skylar Peak was given two years probation and 30 days of community service last week after pleading no contest to one misdemeanor count of reckless driving stemming from a Christmas Day crash.
As part of a plea deal, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Mira agreed to drop misdemeanor charges of hit-and-run and vandalism after a closed conference session with Peak’s attorney, Michael Shultz, before a public hearing on Wednesday last week at the Malibu Courthouse. Peak was not present at the hearing.
Mira ordered Peak to complete 10 days of beach clean-up in Malibu and 20 days of community service, possibly with the Malibu Boys and Girls Club. He must also pay fines totaling approximately $1,200 and additional damages to Caltrans, according to Shultz.
The plea deal turns the page on a chapter Peak is hoping to quickly move away from.
“I’m happy to put it behind me,” Peak told The Malibu Times in a telephone interview Monday. “I’m happy to move forward and focus on other things.”
On Dec. 25 of last year, Peak allegedly drove his pickup truck over more than 400 feet of road delineators on Pacific Coast Highway near Zuma Beach.
Investigators believe he abandoned the damaged truck near Westward Beach.
The DA’s complaint claimed Peak “unlawfully [drove] a vehicle upon a highway in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” He also, according to the complaint, “unlawfully and maliciously [damaged] and [destroyed] real and personal property” when he allegedly drove over more than 400 feet of Caltrans road barriers known as “Quick Kurb.”
Peak’s two-year probation period and plea deal do not affect Peak’s status as an acting councilmember, according to City Attorney Christi Hogin.
Citing California’s Governmental Code, Hogin said a sitting council member could forfeit their office if convicted of a felony or “of any offense involving a violation of his or her official duties.” This misdemeanor conviction, however, should have no bearing on Peak’s political office.
“Minor offenses are punishable by law and do not affect the legal qualification to hold office,” Hogin said.
Next up: Mayor pro tem
With the court case concluded, Peak’s second in the past calendar year, attention now turns to whether the council will retain its custom and name the 28-year-old councilman mayor pro tem at the council’s June 11 “reorganization” meeting.
The mayor pro tem position is next in line to be named mayor. Under the City of Malibu’s council-manager form of governance, each council member gets to serve as mayor during his or her term. The positions are rotated approximately every nine months.
Last August, the council voted 3-2 to elect Joan House as mayor pro tem over Peak, who at the time was under a separate police investigation related to accusations that he threatened a security guard at the Point Dume Village shopping center in July. In the aftermath of the Point Dume incident, Peak admitted to suffering from bipolar disorder.
The decision bucked tradition, as council custom dictated that the council member who received the most votes in the previous election be named mayor pro tem. Peak finished with 1,400 votes in the April 2012 City Council election, well ahead of House and secondplace finisher John Sibert.
But a three-person majority, consisting of House, La Monte and Rosenthal, voted to elect House instead. Rosenthal and La Monte said Peak should not serve as mayor pro tem while the investigation was open, and added that he needed more experience as a councilmember.
Peak said Monday he would seek the mayor pro tem position this time.
“I think I should try to go for it,” Peak said. “I don’t think there’s any reason for me not do it.”
When asked this week if she had any similar concerns in the aftermath of the Christmas Day crash, Rosenthal declined to comment.
“Give me a month to think about it,” she said.
Community service
Serving out 20 days of community service at the Boys and Girls Club was Peak’s idea, but he said he still has to meet with county officials to finalize the terms of his community service.
Kasey Earnest, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, said Peak had not reached out to her about volunteering.
“I would be completely open to him completing work at the Boys and Girls Club, we just haven’t been approached by anyone about it,” Earnest told The Malibu Times on Thursday. “…If there’s an opportunity that makes sense for the Boys and Girls club and for Skylar, then we’re open to it.”
Peak had served on the club’s board of directors until last year, when he stepped down.