Spreadbury v. Bitterroot Public Library et al

Filing 57

RESPONSE to Motion re 51 MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment DEF LEE ENTERPRISES INC'S BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO PL'S MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AGAINST LEE ENTERPRISES filed by Lee Enterprises Incorporated. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit FOUNDATIONAL AFFIDAVIT OF JEFFREY B. SMITH, # 2 Exhibit A - Affidavit of Stacey Mueller, # 3 Exhibit B, # 4 Exhibit C, # 5 Exhibit D, # 6 Exhibit E, # 7 Exhibit F, # 8 Exhibit G, # 9 Exhibit H, # 10 Exhibit I, # 11 Exhibit J, # 12 Exhibit K, # 13 Exhibit L, # 14 Exhibit M, # 15 Exhibit N, # 16 Exhibit O) (Smith, Jeffrey)

EXHIBIT L

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City drops Spreadbury trespassing charge

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RavalliRepublic.com

City drops Spreadbury trespassing charge
By PERRY BACKUS - Rrvalli Republic

I

Posted: Thursday, Augrst

l9' 2010 t2:00 am

The City of Hamilton has dropped a misdemeanor trespassing charge against former Hamilton mayoral candidate Michael
Spreadbury.

City Attomey Ken Bell said the decision this week followed a Montana Supreme Court order upholding an order of
protection that restrained Spreadbury from entering the Bitteroot Public Library for five years.
"The library was never out to get him," Bell said. "lt was him who frightened and threatened the staff. All the library was
interesied in was protecting its patrons and staff.

"This order docs that," he said.
Spreadbury was found guilty of criminal trcspass at the library by a six-person jury in Hamilton Ciry Coun last February. He
immediately appealed that decision to district court, which is where lhe city dropped the charges this week.
The irespassing charge followed a dispute in 2009 between the library and Spreadbury over his insistence ofplacing on
reserve a copy ofa letter accusing local public officials ofroutinely denyingjustice to citizens.
Last November, he was charged with felony intimidation for allegedly threatening a Hamilton librarian. That case continues
to work its way through the couns.

In April, Spreadbury filed lawsuits against city and county officials, as well as the librarian he is accused of intimidating. He
is seeking a total

of$1.3 million.

He has also filed a civil complaint in federal district coun seeking $3.6 million from l8 different parties, including the Ravalli
Republic and Supponers ofAbuse Free Environments, a Ravalli County advocacy group for abused women and families
known as SAFE.
The federal court has not yet acted on that complaint.
On Wednesday, Spreadbury told the Ravalli Republic that he had not committed any crimes and the librarian's order
protection "has lies all through it."

of

"The order of protection is not going to do anything ... itjust proved that this town is corrupt," Spreadbury said.
Spreadbury also took the Ravalli Republic to task for ils reporting on his case, including running a front page story on his trial
in city court that included his photograph.
He said the FBI had told him the newspaper was wrong for "criminalizing something that's not a crime."

Bell said the decision lo drop the charges was as much a business decision as anything else.

"lt cost the taxpayers plenty to go through this once," Bell said. "lt was going to cosl plenty more lhe second time. I wasn't
going to try it. We were going to have bring in someone else.
"lt was almost like

a business decision," he said. "We've got other places to spend money on

premises again, we

will immediately

...ifhe's found on the library

charge him and proceed to prosecute."

Editor Perry Backus can be reached at 363-3300 or [e-mail].

hup://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article

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