Johnson ‘s failed attempt to jail James LaMountain

The saga of the Johnson - James LaMountain feud took center stage at the District Court in Palmer again this past Monday. The hearing scheduled for 9:00 AM was about an alleged parole violation perpetrated by James LaMountain. The probation that James LaMountain is subject to stems from the incident whereby James LaMountain painted the infamous crosswalk on Mashaupaug road between the hillside property and the lakefront property, both owned by Northeast Concepts Inc. James LaMountain‘s son Michael is a major stock holder of Northeast Concepts. The crosswalk was meant to protect his minor children while crossing the road.

The feud originated when Earl Johnson ordered his son Brian Johnson, highway surveyor, to plant two concrete posts to block vehicular access to the lakefront portion of the Northeast Concept property. Thereafter, James LaMountain and other visitors were forced to park cars across the street.

My prediction about the role the two posts would eventually play I expressed in a letter to the editor that was published in the July 31, 2007 issue of the Southbridge Evening News. There was no rocket science involved in making that prediction. The concrete posts were not just put there by Brian Johnson. The posts first had to be dugout somewhere before the Highway department even had two posts to block access in the name of “safety”... to read my letter to the editor, click here.

There is no doubt in my mind that the effort by Brian Johnson‘s Highway Department was in retaliation to James LaMountain ‘s outspoken criticism of the Johnson‘s illegal land deals and the unwanted candidacies by his son Michael, friend Richard McKeen, and business partner Chad Brigham for the elections of 2007.

Back to Monday‘s hearing. James LaMountain admitted back in September that he got carried away and admitted having made an implied threat towards Brian Johnson‘s children. I was not there and I do not know what James LaMountain said or not. The court issued a restraining order against James LaMountain to limit his contact to official business between him and Brian Johnson and not to go near Brian Johnson, his wife or his two children. The restraining order did not specify a particular distance as these orders sometimes do. James LaMountain allegedly drove several times by the dwelling of the Johnson family off of Stafford Road and waived while slowing down. This allegedly caused Brian Johnson‘s wife to be fearful and worry about her own and that of her two children ‘s life ‘s. It is important to note that the Johnson home is more than 800 feet away from the nearest point of Stafford Road. “I have become a prisoner in my own home, always double locking doors and windows routinely checking numerous times daily.” To read her entire statement, click here!

A probation violation in connection with a restraining order is serious business and rightfully so. James LaMountain faced jail time in case he would be found guilty of the violation and posed a real threat to the Johnsons. ‘

You may ask what my involvement was.

As usual, the Johnson‘s tried to pull me into their feud as they and selectman James Wettlaufer systematically do and did so in the past in an attempt to declare me guilty by association. Kristen Johnson, Brian Johnson‘s wife, went as far as claiming that she felt threatened and allegedly called the police when I was in my car on Stafford Road at one point in time. She went on to refer to me as “offender” in her signed statement. When asked while she testified under oath what my offence was she discarded the statement as a “mistake.”

Her “mistake” gave James LaMountain‘s attorney the needed reason to put me on the witness stand. I think my testimony put the Johnson‘s purported innocence in question as I introduced two documents most unflattering to the Johnson‘s, documents that reveal the dark side of Brian Johnoson. The two documents are a letter addressed to the selectboard and a responce letter from the selectboard. The two page letter describes an incident whereby Brian Johnson called me “white trash” and several times a “scum-bag.” He did that while on duty and of all the places inside the town clerk ‘s office inside the Townhall and in front of the town clerk Christine LaPlante. To read the letter, click here! The written answer in form of a letter signed by selectman James Wettlaufer is telling. The inappropriate attack on my person for no apparent reason was, according to Wettlaufer, only exercises of Brian Johnson‘s right to freedom of speak granted under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. No surprise that the prosecutor tried to prevent James LaMountain‘s attorney to enter the letter signed by Wettlaufer as exhibit into evidence. However, the judge allowed the letters to be included by overruling the procecutor‘s objection. Click here to read the letter signed by chairman of the selectboard James Wettlaufer.

I was candid with my testimony. I truly believe that I would be in less danger having James LaMountain as an enemy over Brian Johnson. I even told the judge that James LaMountain sometimes does stupid things and that his anger gets the better of him at times.

Despite the fact that the judge found James LaMountain guilty of violating the restraining order, James LaMountain left the court room a free man. The Johnson‘s did not get their way to have James LaMountain jailed. After all, the judge did not see it the same way as the Johnson‘s did. For James LaMountain it was certainly a wakeup call to take court orders serious. The judge extended the restraining order until February 2010 and ordered James LaMountain to undergo anger management counseling.

I see no end to the status quo while Earl Johnson and James Wettlaufer are members of the selectboard. As long as the needed medicine in form of citizen‘s involvement is absent, the malignant cancer keeps metastasizing unhindered under the roof of our Townhall.

Peter Frei