Michigan Live – by Brad Devereaux
BRIDGEPORT TOWNSHIP, MI — A Bridgeport man faces a felony charge after he was arrested by police at a township board meeting when he refused to stop talking past a three-minute time limit for public comment.
Mark A. Adams, 59, was arraigned Friday, March 14, by Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank on a felony charge of resisting and obstructing a police officer and a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace.
Adams was arrested during a March 4 Bridgeport Township meeting by three Bridgeport Township police officers after violating the township’s three-minute time limit set for people making public comments and refusing to stop talking when township officials told him to.
The arrest was on Adams’ 59th birthday, according to public records.
Adams handed a four-page document to members of the board and offered it to others at the meeting before he spoke. The document, typed with an Adams Oil logo and Adams’ contact information at the top, outlines 21 grievances against Bridgeport Township officials and other government officials.
The Saginaw News obtained a copy of the document and a video recording of the meeting from a citizen in attendance.
Among the grievances are alleged wrongdoings of various governmental bodies including violations of the state open meetings act and Freedom of Information Act, police harassment, corruption, hate crimes, trespassing, tax fraud and more.
The document describes some of the alleged activities as “Taliban” style.
The document lists a “carbon copy” section with the names of county, state and federal officials and lawmakers.
Bridgeport Township Manager Rose Licht said Adams addressed the township board and went longer than the three minutes allotted for public comment, then refused to stop when asked, leading to the arrest.
Licht said Adams was escorted out two other times in the past but was not arrested. Tuesday, March 4, was different.
“He was asked to wrap it up by the township supervisor and he refused and continued to talk over him,” Licht said. “Several times the supervisor asked him to take a seat and he refused and the police department asked him to have a seat and took him out of the building.”
The issues between Adams and the township have been going on for several years, Licht said, regarding vacant land he owns in Bridgeport Township and compliance with township ordinances.
“It’s a long-time dispute,” she said, adding, “If he would have wrapped it up, he would have been fine.”
When asked Friday, March 7, Bridgeport Township Chief of Police Dave Duffett made no comment other than the prosecutor was reviewing the case.
The resisting and obstructing charge against Adams carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
Frank entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and released him on a $7,500 personal recognizance bond. Adams is scheduled for a Wednesday, March 19, preliminary hearing before District Judge M. Randall Jurrens.
Messages left for Adams seeking comment were not returned. Saginaw attorney Tom Frank confirmed earlier that Adams is his client, but had no comment.
Bridgeport Township is in Saginaw County and had a population of 10,514 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.
Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ MLive reporter Andy Hoag contributed to this report.
http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/03/felony_charge_for_bridgeport_m.html
Unbelievable. Only in Amerika.
big fat pigs come up and man handle him. of course trying to talk to these puppets is a waste of time. tptb want everything you have including your life. The time for talk is over.
“You can have your freedom of speech, as long as it doesn’t take too long dammit!”
“Frank entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and released him on a $7,500 personal recognizance bond.”
And that’s just for starters.
The costs go up from there.