Judge Denies Auditor’s Temporary Protection-order Request

A judge from Adams County has denied Stevens County Auditor Lori Larsen’s request for a temporary anti-stalking protection order against Stevens County Commissioner Mark Burrows, ruling that the petition did not establish the legal basis for issuing the order. The July 7 ruling was made without a hearing. Judge K. Peter Palubicki denied Larsen’s petition stating Burrows “has not engaged in acts of stalking.”

Palubicki gave Larsen 14 days to file an amended petition before the case could be dismissed. The ruling was not a final decision. The court’s denial form states that no hearing was held and leaves open the possibility of Larsen amending her allegations. In a separate July 7 order, Palubicki denied Larsen’s request to waive court filing fees.

Palubicki was appointed to handle the matter after Stevens County’s presiding judge stated that judges within the local judicial district were disqualified from hearing the case. Larsen’s petition centered on a June 19 dispute involving campaign signs. Larsen alleged that she and her husband discovered two signs, one supporting Burrows and another supporting county auditor candidate Eric Simpson, attached together inside the fence line of property the Larsens own in the Waitts Lake area.

She said one sign was fastened to an existing fence post and a second post had been driven into the ground. According to the petition, the Larsens contacted the Stevens County Sheriff ’s Office and left the signs in place while a deputy documented their location. Larsen alleged that Burrows entered the property later that evening to remove them after law enforcement had already been called. Larsen characterized the incident, in court documents, as an escalation of longstanding professional disagreements between herself and Burrows. She alleged that the disagreements had become personal and said she had changed how she attended county meetings to reduce direct contact with him.

“[Burrows’] conduct has substantially changed my daily life,” Larsen said in the petition. “My husband and I have installed additional security cameras and subscribed to cloudbased video archiving services at both our residence and our Waitts Lake property, resulting in additional financial expense. I have become reluctant to go shopping or travel alone and now frequently ask family members to ac- company me. I experience anxiety numerous times throughout the day, which is not typical for me.

These are significant changes in my daily behavior resulting from my concern that [Burrows’] conduct would continue or escalate.” She requested restric- tions that would have prohibited Burrows from contacting her outside communications necessary for official county business. She also sought restrictions on Burrows approaching her at public meetings, campaign events, and other gatherings and asked that he remain away from her residences, vehicle, workplace, and the county auditor’s office.

A Stevens County Sheriff ’s Office report, included with the petition, classified the June 19 call as a citizen assist involving a reported trespass. Sgt. Benjamin Cosby wrote that the campaign sign appeared to have been placed on the private side of a fence. Cosby said he checked county property information and found the parcel was identified as private property owned by Larsen.

The report states that the Larsens did not witness anyone install the signs and neighbors contacted by the deputy said they had not seen the signs being placed. According to the report, Simpson told the deputy that he had not installed his sign, but said Burrows had placed signs along the route. Simpson said he did not know the sign was located on the Larsens’ property. Burrows denied placing the specific sign when later contacted by Cosby, according to the report. Burrows said he went to retrieve it after learning that law enforcement had been contacted; Cosby noted in his report he had not been the one to inform Burrows about the sign.

Burrows also provided a description of the confrontation. According to court documents, he told Cosby that members of the Larsen family blocked his vehicle, prevented him from leaving, and threatened him. Burrows said he attempted to de-escalate the encounter and that he wanted to pursue unlawful-imprisonment allegations.