Gun Rights Activist Accused Of Threatening Judge

Rick Stanley Fails To Appear In Court On Gun Charges

The Associated Press, October 21, 2003

BRIGHTON, Colo. -- The 2002 Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate from Colorado has been arrested on charges he failed to appear in court and he threatened two judges in Adams County.

Rick Stanley, 49, ran unsuccessfully against Republican Sen. Wayne Allard last year, then later left the Libertarian Party of Colorado. He had been arrested in September 2002 for attending the Thornton Harvest Fest with a loaded revolver on his hip, which he has said he believes is his constitutional right, and was convicted on a misdemeanor gun charge.

But instead of appearing to be sentenced at a hearing scheduled last Wednesday, he had a document titled "Notice and Order' delivered to the municipal and state district judges handling his case, according to court records.

The document, posted on Stanley's Web site, "ordered" the judges to dismiss the charge and return to him ,500 in bond money, his "Smith and Wesson 6 shot .357 pistol and 6 each .357 bullets." The document also accused the judges of treason and included a statement he would have his "mutual defenses Pact Militia" order a warrant for their arrest.

Bob Grant, district attorney for Adams and Broomfield counties, viewed the notice as a threat against the judges. "Law enforcement takes these folks extremely seriously, takes their threats extremely seriously, and that's why this case was investigated and filed," he said.

Stanley was arrested over the weekend.

Stanley, facing two felony counts of attempting to influence a public servant, was being held under ,000 bail. However he was not eligible for release until he completes the 90-day sentence handed down in his absence last week, Grant said.