It seems our boys in green are taking a page out of the playbook of the NH fish cops. Hide in the woods, step in front of oncoming sled, almost cause an accident. Only in this case, our snowmobililer didn't take too kindly to being forced to do the ole bob and weave and had an internationally recognized message for the warden. Our hapless sledder landed in court and now wants justice of a different sort.

Here's the link: http://bangornews.com/news/t/city.aspx?art...&zoneid=176

Ole Venturer has had a run in with Warden Dunham over unattended fishing traps. Warden Dunham basically told ole Venturer, "You look like a scumbag who will skip your court appearance, either pay me part of your fine now, as "bail" so to speak, or I will put you on the back of this warden snowmobile and haul your sorry azz to Penobscot County Jail" Ole Venturer paid the "bail", although the thought is now intriguing of being hauled cuffed on the back of a snowmobile 25 miles out of the woods and then another 40 miles in the wardens truck to PCJ. Ole Venturer had made the cardinal mistake of forcing Warden Dunham to wait hours for my sorry azz to return from galevanting about the countryside. In Warden Dunham's mind, ole Venturer could be "arrested and jailed" for unattended fish traps. Seems a bit heavy handed.

More power to ya. The greenies shouldnt be doing that shit to begin with. I wish you luck.

Here's the body of text from the Bangor paper:

BANGOR, Maine - A Greene man has sued two Maine game wardens alleging that they violated his First Amendment right to free speech when they issued him a summons last year for making a rude gesture.

Thomas Dube last month filed the lawsuit against Wardens Michael Boyer and Ronald Dunham in Piscataquis County Superior Court. Last week, the Maine Attorney General’s Office moved the case to U.S. District Court in Bangor because it concerns federal constitutional issues.

Assistant Attorney General William Fisher in his answer to the complaint filed Thursday denied that the wardens violated Dube’s right to free speech. He also said Dube’s own conduct had caused the injuries for which he was seeking remedy.

Fisher, in answering the complaint, said that "a reasonable official in the [wardens’] position could have believed that their conduct toward [Dube] was lawful."

Dube, who is acting as his own attorney, claimed in his complaint that he was falsely summoned and the victim of malicious prosecution and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He said he was lawfully operating his snowmobile on a trail in Piscataquis County on March 10, 2007, when Dunham "suddenly and without warning sprang out from a concealed location into the path of [Dube’s] oncoming snowmobile and gestured for [him] to stop."

After avoiding what Dube claimed was a "near collision," he stopped his snowmobile on the side of the trail. Dunham then allegedly ordered him to proceed down the trail. Dube said in his complaint that he was so "distraught, anxious and otherwise unsettled" by the way Dunham allegedly pulled out in front of him that he had to stop his snowmobile again to calm his nerves.

At that point, Dube expressed his discontent with Dunham’s earlier travel behavior by displaying his middle finger at the warden. Dunham, Boyer and two unidentified wardens allegedly surrounded Dube and turned off his snowmobile.

Boyer issued Dube a citation for disorderly conduct, a Class E crime that carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, for making the gesture. Piscataquis County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy declined to prosecute the case and dropped the charges.

Dube is seeking a declaratory judgment that the wardens’ actions were unconstitutional, along with compensatory and punitive damages. He said in the complaint that he suffered physical pain, emotional trauma, humiliation and distress as a result of the wardens’ action.

this has already been to trial & the State Police lost the case. Flying the bird is not illegal or it wasn't 10 years back.

My biggest issue with the Wardens is the fact that they often don't identify themselves in any way shape or form. That's all well and good when you are trying to sneak up on someone when hunting or fishing but it a different issue when they are traiside IMO. I came across a right side of the trail & registration check in the Millinocket area two years ago and almost didn't stop for the nut in the green flannel flailing his arms on the side of the trail. They could at least wear a yellow vest or something that says warden so that you know it's the authorities rather than someone about to attempt a sled jacking.

I agree for the most part, the wardens need to be marked or outfitted in a way so that there is no mistaking who they are. For example, the trail cops in Quebec wear bright orange safety vests on top of their gear, as well as driving sleds equipped with strobing lights on the front and rear. I have driven by wardens on the trail here in ME thinking they are some jackass fucking with me and only stopped after I turned around and noticed the small badge on the windshield of their sled that was parked facing the other way.

Hearing stories about the way they conduct their patrols, such as this one, disturbs me a bit too. No, I was not there and yes some if not all of the stories are probably exaggerated, but in my opinion their conduct closely borders entrapment in some cases. I just think there has got to be a better way of doing their job safely and effectively in cases like these.

THAT IS THE FUNNIEST FUCKING THINGS I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Word is that this guy has a long history with the warden service and this "incident" had been building for some time.

So he is an asshole and someone finally called him on it ? Awesome.
Hope they pull his squirrel cop patch. ;-)
Mark

Haven't experienced that in Maine, but in NH they do that all the time on the trails I hate that it sucks, I probably wont go back there because they are way to paranoid about their trails and enforcing the 45 mph speed limit.

In Maine, here in Windham, we have a cop (our school resource officer) that jumps out at cars with the radar gun and causes near collisions all the time. Its happened to me and I hear everyone talk about how he does this and somebody's going to get killed. Its only a matter of time but at least he's off the streets for now and in our school guarding the lost and found tables, lunch room, and issuing 2 dollar school tickets when your not parked correctly. In the winter he dresses in white and hides in the snowbanks with binoculars to see whos using the wrong door's (like through a cool teachers exterior access door) instead of the Main door, and you get written up for it. Tax dollars at work!

Our school board is making all these cuts a hundred grand here a hundred grand there and they have pointless stuff like a 40 or 50k a year rent-a-cop that does nothing all day.

He tazered 2 girls that the smallest kid in the school could have pulled apart when they were in a slapping fight. He said for the town newspaper that he was "thrown to the ground and felt in danger" and after "multiple times of warning them" he had to do it. My ass, I, along with about 30 other people were around watching (as it was in the hall between classes) and all we saw was them slapping, and then they lit up like a christmas tree before we knew he was even there. They were white trash and didn't have that great of a reputation so their side of the story was irrelevant, but I think it was misconduct by an officer IMO.

My dad used to be a State cop in Connecticut and thinks its a riot.

A little off topic but its taking authority way to seriously that causes stuff like this to happen.

No, I guess the rider has had numerous run ins with the Wardens, was on a first name basis, and has had some stand offs with them. I think the summons for the middle finger was more than a one time thing, they tried to stick him for having a bad attitude. Just what I'm hearing anyway.

I guess if having a bad attitude is illegal, than I should spend the rest of my life in the clink. The friggin arrogance of some cops is amazing, I've yet to meet on that is actually God.

Greg