(The Center Square) – After two days of testimony, a jury found Trevor DeLorme not guilty of one count of misdemeanor stalking Tuesday at the Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco, in a case involving Washington state Sen. Nikki Torres and Gabe Galbraith, her opponent in the 8th Legislative District Senate race.
DeLorme’s attorney, Kevin Holt, could not be reached by The Center Square following the verdict, but did give a statement to local media.
“They were trying to make criminal a political activity that he was doing because he wanted to be involved in politics,” Holt told the Tri-City Herald. “It was really a waste of time… It was a complete overuse of our resources.”
The verdict prompted differing reactions from the two candidates, who spoke to The Center Square following the trial.
Galbraith said his family had endured damaging accusations and public speculation for months. Torres said the outcome was not what her family had hoped for and questioned what evidence jurors considered.
The case began at the end of April of this year, and involved allegations tied to a property owned by Torres and occupied by her daughter.
DeLorme faced a misdemeanor stalking charge after reportedly sitting in a vehicle outside the home for hours, videotaping or taking photos from his phone in an attempt to verify her residency.
In his statement following the verdict, Galbraith criticized the public discussion surrounding the case and accused Torres of using the controversy as part of her campaign strategy.
“What’s most disappointing is how quickly allegations became headlines and speculation was treated as fact,” Galbraith told The Center Square.
He said the verdict was a turning point for his family and called for everyone to focus on issues rather than personal attacks.
“Political campaigns should be decided by voters based on the issues, not by character assassination and trial by headline,” Galbraith said.
Torres said she was disappointed by the result.
“I wasn’t too surprised with the verdict because the jury were not given all of the evidence, nor were they given the police report,” Torres said.
Torres said the case remained focused on her address, which she said had already been resolved. She described the experience as frightening for her family, particularly because of the impact she said it had on her daughter and granddaughter.
“While today’s outcome is not what my family and I had hoped for, we respect the judicial process, even when the result is difficult to accept,” Torres told The Center Square.
Galbraith said his family is now ready to move forward following the verdict. He also thanked those who supported them throughout the case.
Torres thanked law enforcement officers, prosecutors and others who worked on the case diligently, along with those who offered her family support.
Galbraith, the current president of the Kennewick School Board is continuing to campaign against Torres for the District 8 Senate seat. Torres currently represents District 15, which was redrawn during a contentious process last year.
The two Republicans advanced to the November general election after finishing as the top two candidates in the August primary. Torres captured 52.04 percent of the vote, while Galbraith finished second with 46.31 percent of total votes.
Voting begins Oct. 16 and continues through Election Day on Nov. 3.