Plea deal settles roundabout assault case involving Juneau man
- Daily Sitka Sentinel
- Feb 13
- 5 min read
By Anna Laffrey
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka Magistrate Judge Pamela Stahla-Kernin sentenced Pietr K. Dabaluz to ten days in jail and three years of probation Wednesday, on the Juneau man's guilty plea to misdemeanor assault charges arising from his actions during an Aug. 30, 2025, protest rally at the Sitka roundabout.
The Aug. 30 incident involved Dabaluz, 19, and Sitka residents Marshall Albertson, 59, and Steve Lee, 49. After the fight, Albertson drove himself to the hospital, where he received treatment for a broken nose and concussion.
Earlier this month Dabaluz entered a guilty plea on reduced charges, settling the case before a jury trial, which had been scheduled to take place in Sitka in March.
As part of the plea agreement, Stahla-Kernin dismissed a felony robbery charge and a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge. Dabaluz pled guilty to two counts of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault for causing physical injury to both Albertson and Lee.
Dabaluz was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 175 days suspended and fined $2,500, suspended, on each of the two charges, resulting in a 10-day jail stay in settlement of all charges.
Dabaluz’s case has been in the court system since Sept. 4, when a Sitka grand jury indicted him on one count of second-degree felony assault, one count of third-degree felony assault, and one count of second-degree felony robbery.
On Jan. 14, Superior Court Judge Amy Mead ruled that the state prosecution did not present sufficient evidence to support the second-degree felony assault and third-degree felony assault indictments.
However, Mead found sufficient admissible testimony to support the second-degree robbery charge. That charge is related to Dabaluz's actions after he took a flag of Israel from a flag stand during the altercation at the roundabout.
Dabaluz also faced one count of fifth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, which also was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Wednesday’s hearing
Dabaluz's change of plea hearing and sentencing were held at the Sitka courthouse Wednesday, with Dabaluz and his attorney, Andrew Miller, participating by teleconference.
Judge Stahla-Kernin, Alaska Assistant District Attorney Catherine Rogers, Marshall Albertson and Steve Lee, were in the hearing room, along with a packed gallery of 20 members of the public.
At least 15 of those in the public supported Dabaluz, including people in leadership with the Alaska Native Sisterhood, Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
In the change of plea hearing, Stahla-Kernin walked the parties through the terms of the agreement between Dabaluz and the prosecution.
Under the three years of probation in the sentence agreement, Dabaluz must obey all laws; not have any direct or indirect contact with Albertson or Lee; and not attend any demonstration at the Sitka roundabout. Also, he is required to obtain an integrated behavioral health assessment by Feb. 11, 2027.
The judge advised Dabaluz of his rights to a trial, and said that by going forward with the change of plea and sentencing agreement he would give up his rights to a trial.
Dabaluz pled guilty to the two misdemeanor assault charges; Stahla-Kernin accepted both guilty pleas.
The judge then turned to the parties for their comments.
Albertson first addressed the prosecution’s part of the plea agreement: “I would really like to have some, if possible, have some assurance that (Dabaluz) is actually going to do some jail time of his ten days, and not just, you know, get put on house arrest or something.”
Lee addressed his remarks to Dabaluz.
“I wish this is a lesson to be learned,” Lee said. “I hope in your future that you think twice before you act.”
Assistant DA Rogers said the prosecution agreed to the sentence, since Dabaluz had no prior criminal record, that he assaulted Lee and Albertson in broad daylight, and that he is 19.
“We think he has a great chance at rehabilitation,” Rogers said.
Rogers underscored the importance of the agreed-upon integrated behavioral health assessment, which would come with recommendations for Dabaluz to follow.
Defense attorney Andrew Miller said he and his client consider the plea agreement an appropriate resolution in the case.
“This is a really unfortunate situation for Mr. Dabaluz and Mr. Lee and Mr. Albertson,” Miller said. “I spent a lot of time reviewing surveillance video, wrote a fairly lengthy motion – we had two charges dismissed. And looking at all that video, looking at all the facts, I think this is something that just escalated in an unfortunate way."
The parties agreed to support dismissal of the felony robbery charge, tied to how how Dabaluz ran and grabbed a flag at the start of his altercation with Albertson and Lee.
Miller noted that Dabaluz lives in Juneau and was visiting Sitka in late August to attend a relative’s funeral.
During that visit, Dabaluz “hadn’t expected to be in any protest, but he came upon one, and at the spur of the moment, he ran and grabbed a flag,” Miller said. “I think that this was largely on a whim, and it wasn't the right thing to do.
“Mr. Dabaluz accepts that, but I don't think it was something where he permanently intended to keep the flag or destroy it,” Miller said. “He ultimately threw it. But Mr. Lee and Mr. Albertson chased him, as they had every reason and right to do, and ultimately we ended up with these charges.”
“This is a fair and appropriate resolution,” Miller said. “Mr. Dabaluz accepts the resolution. He recognizes the harm, he can accept the consequences.”
Judge Stahla-Kernin addressed Dabaluz at the close of the hearing.
“One of the several reasons that I've accepted this agreement is that there is a deterrence for you,” the judge said. “I believe that this is fair and equitable, because of your age, there is a lot of time for you to make better choices down the road.”
After the hearing, a number of the Sitkans in the gallery told the Sentinel that they were present at the roundabout on Aug. 30. They said they remained some time after the altercation ended, and said they were disappointed that police declined to interview them as eyewitnesses to what had happened there.
• This article originally appeared in the Daily Sitka Sentinel.
