Washoe County Assessor Mike Clark last week appealed a year-long protective order filed against him for conduct a judge said was obsessive and “borders on stalking.”
Judge Richard Glasson in late June called Washoe County Assessor Mike Clark’s pseudo-anonymous mailings of more than 150 packages to various officials and news media in April “altogether creepy and disturbing.”
He extended a temporary protection order requested by Washoe County against Clark for a year.
At the request of Washoe County-hired attorney Brian Brown, representing County Manager Eric Brown (no relation), Glasson granted the year extension with a modification that Clark is allowed back in the county building where he works.
Clark’s appeal of the order, however, claims county officials conspired against him on various issues, including the Incline Village property tax settlement, and further says Glasson’s hearing excluded the opportunity for Clark to present his case.
“The Court denied Mr. Clark’s motion to strike the speculative and prejudicial testimony regarding the ‘what if’ specter of him as dangerous,” Clark’s attorney, Mark Mausert, wrote.
Clark also alleged Assistant County Manager Kate Thomas recently filed an additional TPO against Clark because, “Ms. Thomas isn’t really scared of Mr. Clark harassing her in the sense of stalking or doing anything inappropriate. What she’s afraid of is that her misconduct will be exposed.”
Thomas’ image and portions of depositions from a sexual harassment lawsuit against the City of Reno were included in the mailings. Thomas was then assistant city manager, working under then-City Manager Andrew Clinger. Clark put Clinger’s home address as the return address on the envelopes.
“For whatever reason, the Justice Court was intent on excluding evidence of the underlying facts, i.e., the circumstances which ultimately caused Mr. Clark to act — while nonetheless reserving the right to draw conclusions and inferences adverse to the evidence which was excluded,” Mausert added. “[Clark] has been cast as some sort of stalker who engaged in ‘fetishistic’ misconduct. He is an elected official, who intends on running for office again.”
Clark is requesting a new hearing under a new judge. Washoe County officials did not provide comment on the appeal.
