The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr with misdemeanor domestic violence following a Nov. 25 incident at the home he shares with his girlfriend.
Morgan Hill Police reported they responded to Carr’s home in the city’s downtown 6:20pm Nov. 25 in response to a call from his partner. The woman told a dispatcher on the phone that Carr, 48, threatened her, pulled her hair and broke her glasses, according to police reports.
Carr was arrested at the home, according to police.
Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Troy Hoefling confirmed the arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery, and referred further questions to the D.A.’s office.
Prosecutors filed one count of misdemeanor battery on a cohabitant against Carr, South County Deputy Supervising D.A. Vishal Bathija said Nov. 29. Carr’s next court date, scheduled for an arraignment, is Jan. 26, 2018.
Bathija added that Carr was released on $10,000 bail shortly after his Nov. 25 arrest.
A lifelong Morgan Hill resident, Carr was re-elected to his fifth and current term as a city councilman in November 2016. For 2017, the council has also assigned him the title of Mayor Pro Tem.
Before joining the council, Carr was an elected Morgan Hill Unified School District trustee. He has a teenage son and daughter.
In response to the questions from the Times regarding the Nov. 25 incident, Carr declined to address the specific accusations because he had not seen the D.A.’s complaint or evidence against him.
But Carr said he is “terribly sorry” for placing himself and his family in the situation, and said he is “not a violent person.”
“I realize I am not perfect—far from it,” Carr said. “I know I have let a lot of people down, most notably my partner, a person I care deeply about, (and) my family and many people in Morgan Hill who trust in me…I don’t act out in a violent way. Violence does not exist in my home.”
The California Penal Code section in which Carr is charged states the maximum punishment for misdemeanor battery on a cohabitant is a $2,000 fine and/or one year in county jail.
Authorities declined to comment on any potential injuries to the victim in Carr’s case. But the penal code notes that a charge of battery does not require physical injury.
