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Judicial candidate arrested for stalking

A candidate for municipal judge in New London has direct experience with the law.

One of three candidates who will be on the Feb. 18 primary ballot in New London and Weyauwega, Bradley Graham points to his studies of conservation law as a member of the Oneida Tribe’s Environmental Resource Committee and of parliamentary procedure as a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Graham’s experience with the law also includes being arrested and charged with felony stalking in the fall of 2006.

He was accused of sending threatening letters to two New London women, as well as ordering mail-order products and having them sent and billed to three local residents.

Events leading to Graham’s arrest

According to the criminal complaint, four local residents contacted the police on Sept. 20, 2006, regarding what they believed was a threatening letter.

Filled with alleged grievances, the unsigned letter described a person who had been apparently quite dangerous and violent. The author indicated he was changing back to that person.

The letter was turned over to then New London Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson. The victims suspected Graham had sent the letter.

In examining the letter, Wilkinson noticed a distinctive style to the capital letter “N.” It had both a down and an upstroke on the left leg.

A short time later, three of the victims began receiving invoices and products in the mail which they had not ordered.

Wilkinson obtained a copy of one of the original orders for these unwanted items and again noticed the distinctive “N.” He also obtained copies of Graham’s handwriting from a business with which Graham had previously been associated. Wilkinson noted the same style of “N.”

On Oct. 30, a daycare center in New London contacted Wilkinson. A woman who worked there had received a five-page, handwritten, unsigned letter with several threatening statements:

“Time to settle the score … Go to hell … Seal your own coffin … Save yourself and ask for forgiveness … I roam through the valley of death, I fear nothing, for I am the evil that now walks in the darkness and in your mind … Sleep with one eye open … Pray to the Lord your soul to keep, if you should die before you wake.”

The envelope had the same distinctive “N” in the word “New London” which had appeared in the other letter and in the samples of Graham’s handwriting obtained by Wilkinson.

Later that day, the woman called the police and reported seeing Graham drive by the daycare center several times while she was at work.

Wilkinson went to Graham’s house on the night of Oct. 30 and arrested him. As Wilkinson was handcuffing him, Graham allegedly said whoever was making the complaint against him could “kiss their butt goodbye.”

As part of a plea deal in September 2007, Graham entered a plea of no contest to the felony stalking charge and to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, according to court records.

Judge Raymond Huber found Graham guilty on the misdemeanor charge and withheld judgment on the felony charge due to a deferred prosecution agreement.

Huber placed Graham on one year of probation with the conditions that he have no contact with six local residents and the local newspaper.

Under the deferred prosecution agreement, the felony stalking charge was dismissed after one year.

“It was just a minor thing,” Graham said, noting he was convicted of a misdemeanor offense.

Graham, who is now 58 years old, has had no further criminal charges filed against him, no ordinance violations or traffic citations.

According to New London Police Chief Jeff Schlueter, Graham has worked with local police regarding traffic issues on the street where he lives.

“He’ll call to report traffic traveling too fast in front of his place on Pershing Road,” Schlueter said. “We put a speed trailer out there to try to get traffic to slow down.”

The County Post contacted some of the victims named in the criminal complaint against Graham. They did not want to comment on the case.

Graham’s training

“I was one of the first applicants,” Graham said, regarding the municipal court in New London. “I advocated for having a judge.”

He supports having a municipal court in New London because more of the revenues from fines and forfeitures goes to local government rather than to the state.

Graham was born in New London and has lived here for most of his life.

He did not graduate from high school, but earned a high school equivalency degree from Northwest Technical College in Green Bay.

Graham said he was a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and a member of the Oneida Tribe’s Environmental Resource Committee.

As a member of these two groups, Graham said he has studied parliamentary procedure and conservation law. He believes this experience will help him perform more effectively as a municipal judge.

Graham said he now spends most of his time taking care of his parents. He also makes fishing rigs for area bait shops.

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