Man Charged With Felony After Speaking Too Long At Town Hall Meeting

Police State USA
Mar. 19, 2014

BRIDGEPORT TOWNSHIP, MI — A man was dragged away in handcuffs and charged with a felony after speaking too long at the podium during a town council meeting.

The meeting was held on March 4th. Mark A. Adams, 59, brought with him a long list of grievances he says he has suffered over the past three years at the hands of the Bridgeport, a town of roughly 10,000. When he took the podium, he explained the type of “continual harassment” the town has put him through. He alleges that the town has no respect for property rights, and issued a “Stop Work Order” on a project on his property, followed by an order for the destruction of his project. He said that the bureaucrats came for his barbecue grill, and then his bird feeders. They even cited him for placing a post in the ground without the township’s approval.

“You’re making the township a laughing stock,” Adams said. “Who on earth is going to want to locate their business here, or try to raise a family, in a place that has so little regard for property owners’ rights?”

Adams mentioned that requests for documents under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) have been refused and that he has been harassed by the police. He said the town shut down his farming operation and harassed him when he erected a fishing dock. He also mentioned allegations of tax fraud, theft, and usury on behalf of the town.

Adams had barely scratched the surface of his 21-point list when the council ordered him to sit down. Even though he had requested 15 minutes to get through his list, he was cut short after just 180 seconds.

“Mr. Adams, your 3 minutes are up,” said one of the councilmen.

Adams fired back, “Three minutes? Its been three years!”

He attempted to offer copies of his typed document of grievances to the sparsely-seated audience as he frustratedly said that the town was violating his rights. The two spoke over one another and then police officers were sent over to silence the aggrieved citizen.

Three cops dragged Adams away while he protested. He was charged with a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace and a felony of “resisting and obstructing a police officer,” according to MLive.

Mr. Adams pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could spend up to two years in prison.