By Julie Snyder
C & G Staff Writer

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The disorderly conduct charges against former St. Clair Shores City Council member Erin Stahl were dismissed and a littering fine was reduced in a Ferndale court last week.

Stahl’s final formal hearing was held June 10 at the 43rd District Court in Ferndale. 

The original disorderly conduct charges were dismissed on April 22 and amended to littering after Stahl turned down several plea offers. 

Stahl said the littering charges are contrary to her well-known activism in keeping St. Clair Shores clean.

“In October 2007, when I was first charged, I was preparing for a jury trial to expose the truth of the disorderly conduct charges from the night in question,” said Stahl, chairwoman of Make Your Vote COUNT (Citizens Opposing Unfair Needless Taxes).

Stahl claims a police officer placed a political sign requesting support of the police and fire millage renewal on the lawn of a vacant home at the corner of Pallister and Rosedale in late 2007. This too, she said, was against the law.

“(A) police surveillance video reveals that one of St. Clair Shores finest broke the law and put up the political signs — now considered ‘litter’ — without permission and told another to do surveillance on the signs,” she said.

That, however, is not the truth, said St. Clair Shores Police Chief Charles Burnett.

“That sign was put up probably a day or two (before the incident involving Stahl),” he said. “There were all kinds of political signs put on the property.”

A plainclothes police officer was in his unmarked car facing north on Pallister at around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 when a vehicle pulled onto the street. The driver, who later turned out to be Stahl, turned around. Police report that Stahl exited her vehicle in front of the vacant home in question and pulled a police and fire millage renewal sign from the lawn and dropped it in the yard.

The officer then reported seeing Stahl move her vehicle a block further, pulled over again, get out,  pull a second sign and drop it on the ground. Stahl then reportedly got back in her vehicle and drove south on Pallister, passing the officer. Stahl was then seen pulling and dropping a third sign from a home at Pallister and Avalon.

It was then that the officer approached and identified himself. The officer reported that Stahl expressed disinterest in speaking with him and drove to her home nearby. The officer followed and called dispatch for backup in the form of a uniformed officer in a marked patrol car.

Stahl was a member of St. Clair Shores City Council from 2004 to 2007. During that time, she was a vocal opponent of the police and fire millage.

Stahl reportedly had three political signs that were in her lawn damaged by persons unknown. The signs were in opposition of the millage renewal. A report was eventually filed for the damage to the signs in Stahl’s yard.

The $3 million police and fire millage renewal was approved by voters in November.

Judge Joseph Longo in Ferndale, who could only make a ruling on the amended littering charge, found Stahl guilty and fined her $25 instead of the normal $60.

Stahl said she spent thousands of dollars defending herself — as did the city to prosecute her — against the disorderly conduct and the littering charge.

“I did it for the residents of St. Clair Shores, and for truth and justice,” said Stahl, who was appointed mayor pro-tem later in her four-year term. “No American should ever have to fear defending themselves against frivolous charges from their government or fear standing up for what they believe is right.”

Burnett said he wants to forget the incident and said too much time and resources were spent on it.

“As far as I’m concerned the case is closed,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Snyder at jsnyder@candgnews.com or at (586) 907-1625.