by Ron Gregory
LOGAN — Two personal safety orders, including one against Williamson Police Chief Barry Blair, have been issued in Logan Magistrate Court at the request of Holden resident Chris Stratton.
According to court records as well as Stratton’s postings on social media, he obtained the orders against Gina Michelle Brady Hicks and her brother, Chief Blair. The orders were issued by Logan Magistrate Joe Mendez.
Such orders are temporary and require a hearing on the merits within ten days. In theory, anyone can file a protective order against another person. The court’s discretion in the matter does not come until the hearing on a permanent order ten days later.
Although Stratton’s hand-written filings are bare on details, on Facebook he has alleged that both Hicks, who he describes as a teacher at Lenore, and Blair have threatened him physically. In the sketchy complaint filed, he alleges that a weapon was or was threatened to be used on him.
Interestingly enough, Stratton posted on Facebook on April 27: “if you find me dead, I was killed by either (Logan Circuit Judge) Eric O’Briant or Barry Blair, the chief of police in Williamson.”
In another Facebook post, Stratton maintains that Hicks once threatened to shoot him if he did not remove a photo of a female friend from his social media site.
A hearing has been set at 1:30 p.m., Friday, May 12 by Mendez to determine if a permanent order should be granted.
Mendez is the same magistrate who reportedly counseled two county commission female employees not to seek a protective order against Stratton recently, saying the case would “amount to nothing.”