While criminal charges were taken off the table for winery owner and former mayor of Windsor Dominic Foppoli, he is now standing trial in a civil case in Sonoma County brought by seven women who accused him of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

The trial began Wednesday morning, as the Chronicle reports, with plaintiff's attorney Tracy Carrillo sharing unflattering text messages from Dominic Foppoli with the jury. In one, he reportedly wrote, "You don't need roofies if you give them enough wine."

Over the course of the next few weeks, jurors will hear evidence that will allow them to decide whether Foppoli's actions rose to the level of assault, and whether he broke any civil rights laws. Carrillo also reportedly said she will present evidence that Foppoli conspired with others to smear the credibility of his accusers, after the allegations first came to light in early 2021.

Foppoli, 44, inherited his family-owned Christopher Creek Winery and was a rising political star in Sonoma County prior to the string of damning accusations that led to him resigning as mayor of Windsor in May 2021. Nine women came forward with reports of sexual assault, battery, and abuse, including onetime reality TV figure and adult film star Farrah Abraham.  

Per the Chronicle, the former 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom star is separately suing Foppoli in a civil rape case that is still pending in Florida.

Foppoli has avoided criminal charges so far, with Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office saying in March 2024 that there was not sufficient evidence to charge Foppoli with a crime. One of Foppoli's accusers, former Sonoma Mayor Rachel Hundley, told the Chronicle at the time that it made her "really sad" that Foppoli wouldn't be held accountable for his alleged crimes.

Foppoli issued a statement at the time, saying, "There were some women involved in this that I cared for and had real relationships with that I realized I must have hurt bad enough that they would join in on something like this,” he told the paper. “I have come to realize through a lot of prayer and reflection over the last 3 years that especially in my younger years I was not an ideal partner. To them I apologize."

The assaults and abuse began, the women said, when Foppoli was around 21 years old and continued until 2020 — when, in yet another pending case, a Montana woman alleges that Foppoli raped her when she was 18 years old.

The Sonoma suit also named Foppoli's winery as well as a children's charity he's involved with, Active 20-30, claiming that they failed to investigate claims from the accusers in years' past. Both entities have settled with the seven women who brought the case.

Foppoli's attorney, Andrew Watters, told the jurors that all the sexual encounters they will hear about in the trial were consensual, as the Chronicle reports. And, Watters added, "Mr. Foppoli has yet to be charged with any crime five years later and counting."

Because it is a civil case, only nine of the 12 jurors will need to agree on any verdict.

The women are seeking unspecified damages, and the trial is expected to last into August.

Previously: Former Windsor Mayor Won’t Face Criminal Charges (For Now) on Numerous Sex Assault Allegations