Former US Congressman Brandon Martin can’t see one of his children without supervision for a year, a judge ruled Wednesday, his erratic behavior endangering the 3-year-old. It has ruled to enforce a protective order his ex-wife filed against Martin last week, alleging exposure. another chance.
A tense and often combative hearing in Cochise County Superior Court Judge Terry Bannon’s court on Wednesday highlighted not only the actions that have affected Martin’s eldest son, but as the current chairman of the Cochise County Republican Commission. He also revealed the outburst that spilled over into his role in .
One of those actions, which left former CCRC chairman Robert Montgomery with a twisted ankle, is under investigation by Sierra Vista police and will be referred to the Cochise County Attorney’s Office for a guilty determination, according to eyewitnesses. , said Sierra Vista Police spokesman Cpl.. Scott Borgstadt.
Richard Wintory, an attorney representing Martin’s ex-wife at the hearing Wednesday, said the 39-year-old Martin’s behavior exhibited a pattern of bad behavior evidenced by information contained in the protection order. .
Two of the three instances mentioned in the order relate directly to CCRC member Judy Smith.
The third incident, which occurred last Christmas in the house Martin shared with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Jessica Martin, has nothing to do with Smith.
All three involved Martin’s minor children, who are named as plaintiffs in the protection orders.
Martin, who lives in Sierra Vista, first entered the House in 2018 and became the Republican candidate for the 2nd House of Representatives in 2020. He lost that election to Democratic incumbent Anne Kirkpatrick. He ran again in the 6th House of Representatives in his 2022 election, but was defeated by Republican Juan He Siskomani in the August 2022 primary.
In December he was elected chairman of the CCRC.
According to the protection order, Martin’s troubles began on Christmas Day.
Martin’s child was home that morning, receiving a jewelry-making kit from Martin’s mother-in-law. Based on orders and testimony from Jessica Martin in proceedings Wednesday, Martin got angry when the child spilled resin from the kit onto the table. Scared children. He started yelling and cursing at Jessica Martin, further scaring his eldest daughter. At the time, Jessica Martin was carrying the couple’s nine-month-old child and she was four months pregnant, she said.
The child later said his father followed Jessica Martin into her bedroom while she was still holding the baby and continued to yell at her “in a threatening manner.” Finally, Jessica Martin moved out of the house with her infant, leaving her older child with Martin, after which her older child called her mother and told her veteran I asked him to pick me up at the memorial park. Her mother, she said, is upset and scared of her child.
The second episode occurred on February 7, with Martin chasing a woman in a pickup through multiple Sierra Vista streets. His child was with him, according to the protection order. The child begged Martin to slow down. Martin told the kid he was following a reporter who had information on him. However, the woman he was pursuing turned out to be her CCRC member Judy Smith, 75, with whom Martin had a sullen relationship.
Smith said he was driving to a friend’s house on Golden Eagle Drive around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when he suddenly noticed headlights coming through his rear window. Ms Smith said her car was right behind her.
At first, Smith thought nothing of it and continued down the road, but she became somewhat suspicious when the driver of a large car followed her at the turn. Mr Smith decided to take another turn to see if the others would follow.
At that point, Smith said he decided not to go home and took a few more turns with other car drivers still trailing him. When she reached the Buffalo Soldier Trail and Coronado Drive, Smith decided to head to the Sierra Vista Police Department. rice field. Ms. Smith was able to obtain most of her plates and called the police.
Police were able to locate the owner of the truck, but said they couldn’t tell Smith until they determined whether the truck owner was driving the pickup.
The next day, Smith saw a truck on Frye Boulevard. She drove her car next to the truck and saw Martin at the wheel, she said Wednesday.
According to the protection order, the child was frightened while riding with Martin in pursuit of Smith.
A third incident occurred on 6 March at CCRC headquarters in Frye. The episode also included Smith and several others who were unable to attend the CCRC’s monthly meeting. Again, Martin’s child was involved. She was at CCRC headquarters when an argument with Smith and other individuals ensued about Martin’s unwillingness to attend the rally. Sierra Vista police were called and Martin said she had trespassed.
According to the protection order, Martin’s child told his mother that he heard Martin say that a woman attending a CCRC meeting should leave for protection after the police left. The young man asked Martin, “What about my safety?” A protection order was shown and he said the kid was fine.
The kid asked, “If I’m fine, why does Allen have a rifle?” A protection order appears. The child was referring to CCRC Sergeant Arms Allen Ortega, who said police prevented Smith from entering the CCRC headquarters building.
The latest in a series of suspicious acts by Martin, and actions under investigation by Sierra Vista Police, took place on March 15 at the Sierra Vista Public Library. Or used to host weekly luncheons that belonged in the past.
Smith said Martin “bursts” into the room and accuses the group of having a “secret meeting”.
“He called us ‘un-Americans’ and stuff like that,” Smith said Wednesday after the hearing.
She said that when Martin broke into the luncheon, the door of the room hit Montgomery, who was sitting next to him. , this time laying him on his side and bending his ankle.
“He (Montgomery) is wearing a cast,” Smith said.
Montgomery declined to comment to the Herald/Review on the incident earlier this week, saying he needed to speak to his attorney.
Martin showed aggressive door pushing when he stormed out of Bannon’s courtroom on Wednesday’s lunch break and pushed on the double doors, looking angry.
He declined to testify, but in closing arguments, Martin said all the evidence presented at Wednesday’s hearing was “hearsay.”
“This is all a charade,” said Martin. He then blamed three women: Smith, Jessica Martin, and Yalitza Robles, the mother of the child at the center of the protection order.
After listening to both Martin and Wintory, Bannon solemnly elaborated on the three scenarios outlined in the protective order. She called the first thing that happened on Christmas Day “a very disturbing picture of Christmas in that house.”
“We will protect the children and not put them in danger,” the judge said, referring to Martin’s actions.
The jurist also said two witnesses testifying on Martin’s behalf “added little” to the situation, and said Jessica Martin’s testimony about a ruined Christmas was “convincing”. rice field.
Wintory said the protection order would prevent Martin from seeing his oldest child for a year, but he could supervise visits with the children if the mother gave his approval. must.
