Judge dismisses petition for protective orders against city manager, DA, judges

Beau Simmons, Stillwater NewsPress, Okla.
·2 min read

Oct. 15—A Lincoln County judge has dismissed petitions for protective orders a former Stillwater City Councilor filed against the City of Stillwater's top executive, local judges and the district attorney.

Because the case involved local officials, it was moved out of Payne County shortly after the Sept. 26 filing. Special District Judge Emily Mueller on Thursday denied Darrel Dougherty's petitions for emergency protective orders against Stillwater City Manager Norman McNickle, judges Michael Kulling and Stephen Kistler, as well as Logan and Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas.

Dougherty has been involved in a custody case and civil lawsuit against the City of Stillwater, Oklahoma DHS and Stillwater Police Department. He accused the City of negligence in failing to investigate child abuse.

Attorneys for McNickle filed a response Oct. 4, calling the petition "frivolous" and not meeting statutory requirements for a protective order.

Dougherty's response to the objection was filed Oct. 12. In that response, Dougherty wrote that McNickle and agents' (SPD) actions were harassment on a level that should be considered stalking, and that McNickle had created a "false narrative" to discredit Dougherty.

He claimed McNickle had engaged in "a pattern of behavior that has allowed and enabled Defendant's agents and counterparts in law enforcement to continue behaviors that cause the Plaintiff (Dougherty) and Plaintiff's family to feel frightened, intimidated, threatened and harassed. Plaintiff states that the following actions have been committed against the Plaintiff or Plaintiff's family by the Defendant or Defendant's agents."

Dougherty included physical assault, threats of violence, stalking and workplace harassment among the accusations.

Dougherty wrote that the conflict of interest prevented him from filing police reports but asked the court to accept an FBI affidavit and complaints submitted to the DA and Payne County Sheriff's Office as evidence.

In Mueller's order denying the petition, she checked the reasons as "the petition and supporting documentation do not state facts that meet the requirements of the Protection of Domestic Abuse Act" and "Petitioner's requested relief cannot be granted in this proceeding. Petitioner may address these issues and concerns in another cause of actions (i.e. guardianship, family law, criminal law, probate, emergency order of detention or other civil matters.)"