Martha Dean’s Husband Arrested for Breach of Peace in Campaign Sign Scuffle.
Campaign signs can be a flashpoint. Candidates and their supporters often think they are victims of a wide conspiracy to deny the public the benefit of signs. It’s usually something more prosaic than that, as Malcolm McGough (Martha Dean’s husband) discovered this weekend.
Betty Fiora lives on a busy street in Canton, so she’s been coping with signs being placed on her lawn without permission. McGough, according to police, is alleged to have seen her removing one for his wife and raised an objection. It sounds like McGough got pretty surly and then physical with the homeowner, the Canton News reports on its site.
McGough has been charged with breach of peace, which is not a minor traffic offense.
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So, who’s running the “gutter campaign” now? Bullying people for expressing the right of free speech and free association may be just dandy in foreign countries, but someone ought to tell Madman Malcolm McGough he’s in America now.
By the way the shrinks have an explanation for the charges McGough & Dean have thrown at Ross Garber: the scientific term is “projection”
Martha Dean and her campaign clearly do not understand property rights. She’s a fraud and needs to drop out of the race!
Gotta cut the micks some slack on being hotheaded.
Charlie the mick
Did the Canton cops give him a sobriety test? This sure doesn’t sound like sober behavior if you ask me
He was released on a promise to appear, apparently the cops don’t think it’s a big deal.
This certainly doesn’t sound like the Malcolm I know. He is one of the nicest men I have been around. I was around him all day at the Blue Trail Sports fair on Sunday. I watched him ask to place Martha fliers in the snack shop and the owner said no, and he only questioned once, no hothead or anger involved. There is always more to the story …
Unfortunate — but doesn’t sound earth shattering to me.
I’ve met Malcom too. He didn’t come off like that kind of guy.
I also think that there’s more to the story considering just who happened to be there, that the property owner was a Garber supporter, and that the other witness’ brother just happens to be running for a primary for US Congress in the 5th…
(http://www.courant.com/community/canton/hc-martha-dean-husband-arrest-0810-20100809,0,6838528.story)
It’s a little wierd. And you can watch the video with her walking by Linda McMahon and Peter Schiff signs on her property? “It’s pretty clear who Betty Fiora endorses and she’s a Canton Republican?”
I bet there is more to the story.
“It sounds like” doesn’t necessarily mean what is. But that’s why we have courts, rules of evidence, rules of proceedure and due process.
And I’m saying that as someone who isn’t a fan by the way that either side of the AG race has run things.
What’s more suspicious to me is that I can’t find the man listed by defendant as a pending case (as of Monday).
We’re dealing with one of two possible things here, not one, the first being highly unlikely given the fact that he isn’t listed –
1) Sec. 53a-181. Breach of the peace in the second degree: Class B misdemeanor. (a) A person is guilty of breach of the peace in the second degree when, with intent to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, such person: (1) Engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior in a public place; or (2) assaults or strikes another; or (3) threatens to commit any crime against another person or such other person’s property; or (4) publicly exhibits, distributes, posts up or advertises any offensive, indecent or abusive matter concerning any person; or (5) in a public place, uses abusive or obscene language or makes an obscene gesture; or (6) creates a public and hazardous or physically offensive condition by any act which such person is not licensed or privileged to do. For purposes of this section, “public place” means any area that is used or held out for use by the public whether owned or operated by public or private interests.
(b) Breach of the peace in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor.
-or-
2) Creating a public disturbance: Infraction. 53a-181a. Creating a public disturbance: Infraction. (a) A person is guilty of creating a public disturbance when, with intent to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, he (1) engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior; or (2) annoys or interferes with another person by offensive conduct; or (3) makes unreasonable noise.
(b) Creating a public disturbance is an infraction.
If he has a court date for the 11th but isn’t listed, I highly doubt that the police or the state even know what they’re charging him with, in which case he doesn’t know for sure what he’s being charged with.
Either way, based on the footage and the story, it really looks like Malcolm thought the property owner was in fact a vandal, given that the way it was reported, she showed up to find the Garber signs down and Dean ones up, then took the Dean ones out as she put the Garber ones back in. But again, we’ll see what happens in court.
The lesson here is to slow the hell down once in awhile and think about what happened…
If what that lady says is true Malcolm would have been charged with assault. She’s obviously exaggerating.
So Malcolm “thought it was a vandal”? Hmm, jumping to conclusions and confronting private citizens with hostility is so NOT what we need in public life these days.
I’ve also heard Malcolm “thought it was public property”. Earth to all politicians. Public property is not yours. CT DOT does not endorse candidates. Signs in the ROW are litter. Don’t be arrogant slobs.
One final thought- this incident so seems like what an angry drunk would suddenly do without thinking. Anyone know if Malcolm got his buzz on earlier in the day?
Mr. Cheshire,
I gave up alcohol in 1982 and worked as a counselor for a couple of years later in the 80s – I know a drunk when I see one. Malcolm is not as you describe, he’s a gentleman. In another post you said “he beat up a woman.” Clearly, you are not accustomed to telling the truth. and have no problem spreading scurrilous rumors, I don’t think I’m ever gonna invite you over for tea.
The irony is that in Stamford, any non-Democratic signs are RIPPED UP & GONE within hours! My first sign ever went up for McCain and it was immediately ripped off my own property. So the next one went on my sunporch…just like my ‘this years choices’ signs do now.
No sense in trying to buck those who cannot contain their urges to act in this manner and I don’t blame Malcolm for getting sore at what he witnessed. I always thought that the first ‘so many feet’ of streetside property was the public’s anyway…but I’m no lawyer.
Anyway, it’s amazing that ‘sign stealing’ is such a big ‘nothing’ to Progressive Lib Dems, like so many OTHER things are ‘no big thing’. Now that I am politically active as a refugee from the ‘Obama/Wright’ church, the UCC, all I can do is caution TEA PARTY PATRIOT people to NOT be like their opponents and steal Democrat signs.
It’s ridiculous, peevish and childish, but more than that…it’s WRONG.
Reverend Barbara Sexton
“The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross”
http://www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com The irony is that in Stamford, any non-Democratic signs are RIPPED UP & GONE within hours! My first sign ever went up for McCain and it was immediately ripped off my own property. So the next one went on my sunporch…just like my ‘this years choices’ signs do now.
No sense in trying to buck those who cannot contain their urges to act in this manner and I don’t blame Malcolm for getting sore at what he witnessed. I always thought that the first ‘so many feet’ of streetside property was the public’s anyway…but I’m no lawyer.
Anyway, it’s amazing that ‘sign stealing’ is such a big ‘nothing’ to Progressive Lib Dems, like so many OTHER things are ‘no big thing’. Now that I am politically active as a refugee from the ‘Obama/Wright’ church, the UCC, all I can do is caution TEA PARTY PATRIOT people to NOT be like their opponents and steal Democrat signs.
It’s ridiculous, peevish and childish, but more than that…it’s WRONG.
Reverend Barbara Sexton
“The Biblical Biochemist-Where Science Meets the Cross”
http://www.DearOnesHealingMinistry.blogspot.com
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