Penobscot County sheriff candidate hit with restraining order in 2000

BANGOR – Timothy Richardson, who is running in the Democratic primary for Penobscot County sheriff, was issued a restraining order two years ago by his former girlfriend, according to court documents.

According to documents obtained by the Bangor Daily News, Richardson’s former girlfriend filed a complaint in late August 2000 in Maine District Court in Portland claiming that Richardson, 55, pursued her, showing up at her home and place of work despite their breakup on July 1 of that year.

Having been the subject of a restraining order, which is a civil rather than a criminal matter, does not disqualify Richardson, who served two terms as sheriff in the early 1980s, from getting his job back.

The incidents that prompted the protection order occurred while Richardson was a reserve police officer in Old Orchard Beach. A spokesman for that police department acknowledged that Richardson was hired for the summer and resigned Sept. 1. Richardson was one of roughly 30 reserve officers the department hires each year, the spokesman said.

Through a friend, Karen True, the former girlfriend, who still lives in Portland, declined to comment on the protection order, indicating it was a difficult situation she wanted to put behind her.

But in papers she filed in Maine District Court in Portland, True cited several instances in which she claimed Richardson harassed her. She said in the papers that in addition to numerous phone calls, contacting her neighbors, writing letters and leaving voice mail, Richardson rang her doorbell in the early morning of July 28, put a gun to his head and threatened to commit suicide.

That same day, she reported in the documents, Richardson shadowed her and a friend as they went to see the tall ships in Portland.

Contacted at home Tuesday night, Richardson said that the protection order developed out of the strong emotions from a financial and personal relationship that went sour, and that six to eight months after the protection order was issued, True withdrew it.

He admits mistakes were made but said True’s initial claims in the request seeking a protection order were misconstrued. He said, for example, that he sent her flowers as a way to resolve the dispute.

Richardson also vehemently denied putting a gun to his head, saying Tuesday that statement was “totally false.”

“I am not a nut case,” he said.

Richardson was a married man at the time and admits he had an affair with True, a stockbroker, and lived with her. She was 36 years old at the time.

True invested in Richardson’s automotive shop and towing business while he gave her money to invest for him, until things deteriorated, Richardson said. During the six to eight months that the order was in effect, he said, both he and True were working to resolve the disagreement, with both sides hiring lawyers.

True and Richardson have resolved their issues, he said, and having reconciled with his wife he had hoped to put the difficulties behind them.

“It was a very unfortunate situation in our lives; we made mistakes,” he said. “It was brought to rest and it was brought to closure.”

His fellow contenders for sheriff tried to distance themselves from the matter when asked about whether the revelation should preclude Richardson from running. Democrats Joe Dauphinee and Richard Stitham – who Richardson will face in the June 11 primary – said they did not want to comment.

It was essentially the same with Republicans Glenn Ross and William Birch, with Ross saying that any matter like this would be up to an ethics committee to determine eligibility and that he “did not want to take this opportunity to throw stones at him because I’m running on my own qualifications, not his.”

Birch said it wouldn’t be fair to comment on something without knowing the whole story.

The protection order doesn’t disqualify Richardson from running for sheriff. In a public forum for sheriff candidates in Glenburn last week, the 55-year-old Richardson called the position of sheriff “very distinct and very honorable” and urged voters to “take a good hard look” at his qualifications and experience.

All five primary candidates – Richardson, two other Democrats and two Republicans – are required to submit to background checks and are reviewed for any Class C or higher convictions, which are felonies. The criminal background checks came back clear for all five, said Julie Flynn, deputy secretary of state in the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions.

Even had Richardson violated the protection order, it would have constituted a Class D violation, which is a misdemeanor that would not show up in the background check.