Government workers for the small town of New Gloucester, Maine, won a blanket restraining order barring Frank Staton Jr., a 41 year old self-described “sovereign citizen” from contacting or interfering with the work of town workers, leaders, and volunteers. Mr. Staton was instructed by the courts that his only contact with city officials could be via email and regular mail, and “only to discuss town-related business,” according to the Sun Journal.

The restraining order names 50 people with whom Mr. Staton is not allowed to contact and specifies that when emailing or conducting business, Staton “is not permitted to do so in a threatening, harassing abusive or intimidating fashion or in a way that creates a fear of imminent bodily injury or which communicates a threat to commit a crime of violence dangerous to human life.”

Town officials applied for a restraining order after several government employees, including animal control officials, selectmen and the town manager, reported that Staton made threats and bragged about having a “kill list” of names of people whom he says have wronged him.

“The order stipulates that Staton may attend town public meetings and hearings, but he must refrain from the barred behavior agreed to in written communications. Town officials may have him removed from those public appearances if he were to engage in the prohibited conduct.”

The Sun Journal states that tensions between Staton and town employees has been “simmering for years” and came to a head recently when news sources publicized the alleged threats.

According to court documents, Staton was said to have threatened the Town Manager, Paul First and harassed the family and friends of  Steven Libby, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. He also sent an email threatening Libby and all town employees: “Anyone caught on my property will be taking their life into their own hands and will pay a price.”

 

By Hypatia Livingston

"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all."Writer, thinker, researcher, philosopher.

3 thoughts on “New Gloucester, ME Granted Blanket Restraining Order Against ‘Sovereign Citizen’”
  1. “Sovereign,” like “love,” means anything you want it to mean; it’s a word in a dictionary between “sober” and “sozzled.”
    ― Robert A. Heinlein

    1. Sure, the word can mean anything, lol… Just like the participants of the movement say that the laws can mean anything (or not apply because the only “law” is God’s, or that “ordinances” or Acts are not laws…) “sovereign citizen” is an official movement that has been monitored by law enforcement & the SPLC. So it is technically an official brand of civil unrest/dissent. Technically.

      But sure it can mean anything it wants. 🙂

  2. This story is all wrong.I am disgusted. I know the man and you should have called him before you wrote this story. There is no proof of any kill list, just the words of some good ol’ boys who think they own this town. I was at the meeting where he supposedly “finger pistoled” the town manager, then the story changed it was the town planner(IT NEVER HAPPENED! AND THEY SCAMMED AN ILLEGAL VOTE THREW AT THIS MEETING!. It is scary how people with power can just say and do what ever they want because they think they are untouchable. He is now suing Steve Libby, who if you look up his business portland insulation he has his “sovereign” belief system one being “My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government”……….. WTF…. Take a look at what is happening in the town of New Gloucester, and tell me there isn’t something fishy going on. Go GET EM SONNY!

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