Hennepin County District Court Judge Daniel Mabley ruled today that Darst is guilty of a gross misdemeanor charge of damage to property, as well as two counts of misdemeanor assault. The 30-year-old Minnetrista resident was acquitted on two burglary counts.

Darst, better known in activist circles as “Panda,” was a key informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in building a case that eight area anarchists (pictured) were engaged in a credible criminal conspiracy to disrupt September’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul. His subsequent arrest, however, has raised questions about his credibility as a potential witness in the cases.

According to the findings released by Judge Mabley today, police were summoned to a Minnetrista residence on January 11 shortly after 2 a.m. Upon arrival officers found that the rear door to the home had been ripped off its hinges. They also observed damage to a window, a hole in a wall, damage to a dog dish and a cracked wooden chair.

The five people present at the residence informed the cops that Darst was responsible for the damage. He’d arrived at the house earlier that night after learning that his wife was there and that she was extremely intoxicated.

“The Defendant came into the residence swinging, punching and calling for his wife,” according to Judge Mabley’s findings. One of the witnesses reported that Darst was swinging “like he wanted to kill us.”

Darst claimed in an affidavit that he was immediately attacked upon entering the residence and that he was acting in self defense. But his statements to police shortly after the incident contradict this claim. When asked at the time whether anyone had assaulted him, this was allegedly Darst’s response: “No, they were pushing me back. … Which is understandable considering that, you know, it is their home.”

Darst waived his right to a jury trial last week. Instead he agreed to abide by Mabley’s determination of guilt or innocence based on written records related to the case. Darst will be sentenced on May 18. The prosecution is seeking a prison term of 180 days.

According to the criminal complaint, Darst showed up at a Minnetrista housewarming party on Jan. 11 looking for his wife, with whom he’d quarreled earlier in the evening. Darst allegedly kicked in the door of the home and physically assaulted two individuals attending the party. “The defendant appeared to be full of rage and anger,” the complaint states.

The incident might be dismissed as a routine domestic dispute — except for Darst’s prior interactions with law enforcement. He previously served as an undercover informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, helping to build a case against the so-called RNC Eight (pictured). The group of activists are charged with criminally conspiring to disrupt the Republican National Convention held in St. Paul in September. But Darst’s own alleged criminal acts have raised questions about his credibility as an informant in the high-profile prosecutions.

Darst’s scheduled 3 p.m. court appearance never occurred, however. Apparently owing to scheduling conflicts for attorneys involved in the case, the legal matter was dealt with in an impromptu hearing earlier in the day.

According to a tape recording of the proceeding, Darst agreed to waive his right to a jury trial. Instead Mabley will decide his guilt or innocence based on written records related to the case.

Despite the unusual legal arrangement, prosecutors continue to insist that Darst is guilty of the alleged crimes. “He had reasonable alternatives available, including calling the police if he was concerned about the safety of his wife and he had the option to retreat from the dwelling,” said Assistant Hennepin County Attorney John Halla during the hearing. “He did neither.”

But the legal machinations have left some wondering if Darst might have struck a deal with the prosecution in order to avoid a trial.

“Otherwise why not just go to trial and let a jury decide?” asks Jordan Kushner, an attorney representing one member of the RNC Eight, Luce Guillen-Givins. “I would have to guess there’s more to this than what’s on the record.”

Whether these suspicions are justified will be known shortly. Mabley is slated to rule on the criminal charges facing Darst next Monday.