Order lifted, hopeful can attend GOP convention

U.S. Senate candidate and long-time Republican dissident Mike Ridgway will not be prevented from attending today's state party convention, despite an injunction prohibiting contact with state delegate and former state Senate candidate Mark Towner.

Judge Sandra Peuler, in an emergency hearing Friday afternoon in 3rd District Court, said that the original injunction issued Thursday by Judge Paul Maughan was "too broad" because it prohibited Ridgway from attending the convention and using the seven minutes allotted by the party for candidates to speak to the delegates. Peuler's ruling dealt only with the provision of the anti-stalking injunction that banned Ridgway from the Republican State Convention, scheduled for today at the South Towne Expo Center.

"I think it is not appropriate for me to interfere with a person's right to political expression," Peuler said. "I believe this is what the original order did."

As for any potential verbal or physical disputes which the injunction was intended to prevent, Peuler said that she was "confident that the Republican Party and its security" could handle almost anything. She did not see a need to require that sheriff's deputies accompany Ridgway, as Towner had requested. But she did prohibit Ridgway from having any contact with anyone named in the injunction.

Security is already expected to be tight at the convention, since Gov. Jon Huntsman, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and four members of Congress will be speaking.

Peuler's decision came less than 24 hours after Ridgway was served with the injunction, which prohibited contact with Towner, his wife and his daughters. It specifically barred Ridgway from going to the Towner home, the University of Utah and all Republican events.

With the exception of today's convention, the injunction remains in place. Peuler said she will schedule a full evidentiary hearing for the broader dispute at a later date.

Following the hearing, Ridgway was frustrated that the entire injunction was not lifted. He said that he would not be completely satisfied until "the person who brought this on is held accountable."

He has maintained that he has never threatened or harmed anyone, but that he has been physically confronted at past GOP meetings by party insiders who don't like his questioning of party activities.

Towner, meanwhile, said he was disappointed that Ridgway will be allowed to attend the convention. However, Towner still planned to attend and participate as a state delegate. As for Ridgway's speech, he expected it to "be filled with vitriol for the party."