South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cody Bass was convicted of misdemeanor harassment Thursday over a confrontation with a bar bouncer in October amid a turbulent year for the city’s leadership, and he faces up to six months in jail.

A judge found South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cody Bass guilty of misdemeanor harassment Thursday over an October confrontation with a bar bouncer outside Lake Tahoe AleWorx in Stateline, Nevada, but acquitted him of a separate trespassing charge, as the Chronicle reports.

Bass will be sentenced September 1 and could receive up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. His attorney, Adam Spicer, said he intends to appeal the conviction.

“I respect the court’s verdict,” Spicer said, according to South Tahoe Now. “I will be doing everything to present a good case at sentencing and will consider all legal options.”

The case goes back to last October, when Bass ended up in a confrontation with an AleWorx bouncer after approaching the business. According to the Chronicle, surveillance video played for the court showed Bass walking past the bar’s outdoor fire pit while holding a drink. The bouncer, identified in court as Bobby, testified that Bass wanted to go inside, but was told he could not because he had previously trespassed from the property.

The disagreement moved outside, where the two men got into a physical confrontation. The bouncer kicked Bass while they were on the sidewalk, according to testimony. Bass then called 911, and sheriff’s deputies arrived a few minutes later.

Bass told a deputy that he had gone to the bar hoping to make amends with the bouncer, per the Chronicle. But after reviewing the surveillance footage and talking to witnesses, the deputy reportedly did not believe that was what had happened.

Bass then allegedly told the bouncer he would have people kill him, which became central to the harassment case. Because the surveillance video had no audio, Spicer challenged whether the footage supported the bouncer’s account, pointing out that people nearby did not appear to react to anything being said.

Bass was initially arrested on suspicion of assault, trespassing, and threats or harassment. Prosecutors subsequently dropped the assault allegation and pursued the trespassing and harassment charges.

After his arrest, Bass posted his own account of the confrontation on Facebook, saying the bouncer had assaulted him and that he had been walking to get something to eat. He disputed having been banned from AleWorx and said he had not entered the bar in a considerable amount of time. The responses from Bass’ constituents to his Facebook post make for quite an entertaining read.

Bass was released after about three hours in custody after posting $1,978 bail. His conditions included staying away from the bouncer, avoiding alcohol and marijuana, and remaining outside a designated area of Stateline.

The conviction comes as Bass approaches the end of his current City Council term. He has served on the council since 2018 and was mayor pro tem last fall when then-Mayor Tamara Wallace resigned after admitting she had taken about $300,000 from Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church. Wallace also called on Bass to resign following his arrest, but he refused and remained on the council.

Bass became mayor afterward, and his current term expires in November.

This is not Bass’ first encounter with law enforcement. The California Highway Patrol arrested him in 2021 on suspicion of DUI after officers said they found substances resembling cocaine and methamphetamine in his vehicle. And in 2015, authorities raided the Tahoe Wellness Cooperative, the cannabis collective Bass founded, as part of a tax investigation. Bass called that raid retaliation for his criticism of a local deputy.

Previously: WTF, South Lake Tahoe? Mayor Pro Tem Arrested for Assault, One Day After Mayor Admits Embezzlement

Image: City of South Lake Tahoe