Bridgeport man faces felony after speaking too long at township board meeting

Bridgeport man faces felony after speaking too long at township board meeting

Man arrested after violating 3-minute time limit at Bridgeport Township board meeting March 4, 2014 A Bridgeport Township landowner was arrested at a board meeting after exceeding the three-minute time limit during public comments.



By Brad Devereaux | bdeverea@mlive.com

on March 18, 2014 at 7:45 AM, updated March 18, 2014 at 11:56 AM


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


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.


Mark A. Adams Bridgeport man who was escorted out of a township meeting by police after he refused to stop talking past a three-minute time limit for public comment is being charged with a felony.


http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2014/03/felony_charge_for_bridgeport_m.html