Man Beaten in Jail, Then Released
Had Been in Custody on Third DUI Charge
A man headed toward trial on his third alleged DUI was released from Santa Barbara County Jail on no bail, a week after being beaten there, and with a promise from his father that he won’t go near alcohol again.
Brian Briley, who was on probation for a prior DUI and had a suspended license, allegedly rammed a vehicle multiple times and injured two people while intoxicated in Goleta on September 10, and was charged with DUI and assault with a deadly weapon. Briley, a tall, thin 31-year-old, was sporting a shaved head and a blackened left eye in court Tuesday. His attorney told the court he was “beaten up fairly severely last week” in jail and had puffy, black eyes and injuries to his chest. He had been in jail on $100,000 bond.
Despite noting that Briley has quite the history with alcohol – five drunk in public arrests and two DUI convictions – Judge Bruce Dodds released him on his own recognizance, ordering that he not drive, consume alcohol, or have any contact with the alleged victims, whom he didn’t know at the time of the incident. Briley seemed very conciliatory in court, agreeing to each of the judge’s conditions without hesitation.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley argued that it wasn’t the court’s responsibility to eliminate danger in jail, but the Sheriff Department’s. “He is without a doubt a danger to society,” Dudley said. A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department said a report of an assault had been filed on September 25, but he had no more information. “We do have assaults here and there,” Sgt. Alex Tipolt said.
But the judge seemed sympathetic after hearing Briley’s father speak Tuesday. “He won’t have a choice to drink,” his father Rodney Briley told the court, indicating Briley’s family would be monitoring him 24 hours a day, and would put an electronic monitoring brace on him. “We’re around him all the time. We’re not going to let it happen again.”
Briley faces a maximum of eight years behind bars.
