The Maverick of Eastern Mason County

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I am always intrigued by the guy or gal who is willing to stand up for what’s right and look authority straight in the face and tell them what’s wrong with the picture.  I admire someone who can be hard-working and mild-mannered, but push the envelope when they see something that isn’t right.  The movies have these people, whether it be James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Barbara Eden in Harper Valley PTA, or Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird.  But they exist in the real world too.

 

 Someone I have never met, Walhalla’s Martin Schilling, is such a guy I think.  I first ran across his name last November, when he settled a lawsuit he had with the county for $7500.  The Mason Co. Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) were after his son, who allegedly assaulted and fled from a LEO, when they first stopped Martin’s vehicle at 7 AM on Feb 25, 2008.  According to Martin, there was no probable cause to stop him or to suspect his son was in the vehicle, and that he had committed no offense.

 

 Later, at 2:40 PM, Schilling was pulled over by the same LEO in Ludington just after he left a residence the MCSO thought may have housed his son.  According to Martin, after police determined Schilling was alone in the vehicle, he was arrested, handcuffed and taken to the Mason County Jail where he was questioned. He was released about an hour and a half later. Law enforcement officers requested a warrant for Schilling to be charged with a crime not specified in the filing. The Mason County Prosecutor’s Office denied that request.

 

 He then summarizes under each of two counts of unreasonable seizure that the officer did not have reasonable suspicion to detain or seize Schilling’s vehicle. It also states the officer did not have probable cause to arrest Schilling later that day.

 

 The MCSO has still never refuted his claims, and I thoroughly believe Martin’s story.  I have seen the MCSO and the local county courts ignore or overtly violate clearly defined laws and rights, and I congratulate Mr. Schilling for standing up for his rights, and bringing it to the county’s attention without bankrupting them.

 

 Martin found himself in the news once again this last week when he stood up against the Zoning Board  for those in the county who may have to sell or replace their single-wide mobile homes, and find they do not have the capability to upgrade it due to the expense. 

 

“I’m not knocking on the county’s door asking them to open it back up to new development,” Schilling said. “I’m simply saying let us live comfortably in the houses that we can afford.”

 

 Schilling says he would like the ordinance to take into account the replacement of mobile homes that already exist on lots.  He says if a single-wide mobile home is destroyed by fire, or it needs to be replaced because of it’s age, the ordinance doesn’t allow it....

 

“This is only five years old, the law is still green,” Schilling said. “This is why I’m trying to get it reversed before it gets entrenched.  I’m trying to produce some awareness that that group of people who live in and own mobile homes are possibly in for a rude awakening. If they want to upgrade or if something happens if their mobile homes are destroyed, that’s not the time to complain about it. The time to deal with it is now.”

 

 The meeting met the next day, and he forcefully spoke out at it, as did many of the farmers who have migrant housing that would be affected.  The board is having second thoughts, and that’s good—more options for the folks in these hard times is a plus.

 

But Martin’s outspoken nature hasn’t always been for the betterment of justice or for the downtrodden, as I found out when I was looking for the lawsuit story on the web.  It seems that in 2005 Martin had won a spot on the MCE School Board and was employed for about a month when he was a little too frank about his thoughts on a female candidate for the Superintendant job:  “I don’t think we’re ready for a female.” , he is reported to have said at the board meeting.

 

Chide him for sexism or defend him for joking around, he did resign on his own volition within the week.  So even if his comment lacked class, the man certainly has some.  My impression may be off, but some of you may know him, or of him.  What do you think about Mr. Schilling?