Hours before the Santa Maria electorate voted on November 5 to not reelect him to the Santa Maria Public Airport District Board, incumbent David Baskett, 81, pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter in the May death of 39-year-old Orcutt resident Tiffany Ann Peterson. Baskett was operating a forklift at an intersection near the airport when the Petersons’ pickup truck collided with its prongs, killing Tiffany and injuring her father, the driver.
Baskett has attended three failed arraignments since his charges were announced by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office on August 9.
In Baskett’s first appearance on September 4, his public defender requested the case be moved to another department, and the judge agreed. In front of a new judge on September 24, Baskett asked for more time to seek private counsel, which the court granted.
On October 14, the arraignment was forced to be continued after Baskett — appearing without legal representation — incorrectly filled out required court documents. At this hearing, one of Peterson’s family members informed the court of an upsetting, unannounced visit by Baskett to the family’s household. While no interaction ensued between Baskett and the family when he knocked on their front door, the court still issued a stay-away order.
At his fourth arraignment on Election Day, Baskett entered a not-guilty plea with public defender Adrienne Adelle Harbottle by his side. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison if convicted.
Despite Baskett’s 50-percentage-point loss to aerospace engineer Tony Guy for a seat on the airport board, Baskett will still sit on the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board, where his term will expire in December 2026.
Baskett declined the Independent’s request for comment.
