A San Diego judge rejected a former city councilman’s attempt to avoid prosecution for corruption by claiming his military service made him do it. Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon ruled Monday that ex-Poway Councilman Tony Blain’s bribery and perjury charges stemmed from calculated political scheming, not post-traumatic stress disorder.
Blain, 60, a former Army colonel and physician, served barely a year on the Poway City Council before voters recalled him in November 2025. He now faces multiple felony counts including bribery, theft and perjury tied to his brief time in office that began in December 2024.
The PTSD Defense That Didn’t Fly
Blain’s attorneys argued for mental health diversion rather than criminal trial, claiming his military career left him with a “binary view of good versus evil” that somehow drove him to commit public corruption. The defense presented his combat-related PTSD as the root cause of his alleged crimes as a council member.
Judge Shamoon wasn’t buying it. In her bench ruling, she found insufficient evidence connecting Blain’s military trauma to his conduct in city hall. The judge described his actions as “sophisticated and strategic political maneuvering” — the work of someone who knew exactly what he was doing, not someone impaired by mental illness.
What Prosecutors Say He Did
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office alleges Blain committed perjury by filing a sworn complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission. The charges also include felony bribery and theft related to his council activities, though the source material does not detail the specific allegations.
Mental health diversion, when granted, allows defendants with qualifying conditions to receive treatment instead of facing trial. But judges must find a clear connection between the mental health condition and the criminal conduct. In Blain’s case, that link didn’t hold up.
The case now proceeds toward trial. Blain’s recall from office suggests Poway voters had already reached their verdict on his fitness to serve.
Key Points
- Former Poway Councilman Tony Blain, 60, faces felony bribery, theft and perjury charges from his year in office
- His attorneys claimed military PTSD caused a “binary worldview” that led to corruption, seeking mental health diversion instead of trial
- Judge Polly Shamoon rejected the argument, finding his actions were sophisticated political maneuvering unconnected to mental illness
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-rejects-ex-city-councilmans-ptsd-diversion-bid-in-socal-corruption-case/ – October 27, 2026
