A candidate for Whitefish’s House District 5 has a restraining order against him prohibiting contact with a former girlfriend due to allegations that he physically abused and threatened the woman on multiple occasions.
John Michael Myers, 30, a Whitefish attorney running as a Republican in the race for HD 5, which encompasses Whitefish, is restricted by court order from having contact with his ex-girlfriend, Angela Jacobs, with whom he previously lived, as well as her young son. The order of protection, issued in February 2013, was set to remain in effect through February 2018.
A stipulated order of protection, entered in District Court last month, reduces the duration of the order’s effectiveness by two years, ending in February 2016. The case file is now sealed, according to the clerk of court’s office administrator, though the Beacon obtained a copy of the outstanding municipal court order.
According to the original document signed by Whitefish Municipal Judge Bradley Johnson, Jacobs sought the restraining order due to a “general history of uninvited physical contact/abuse” by Myers.
“Based upon the petitioner’s testimony Judge Johnson found that she has a reasonable belief that bodily harm/injury could befall her during contact with the respondent,” the order states.
According to court papers, a February 2013 hearing on the order of protection was disrupted when Myers, who did not attend the hearing, called the court clerk on the telephone and used profane language until Johnson instructed the clerk to hang up.
In an emailed statement from Myers, he said he’s since learned from the relationship’s tumult and moved on.
“As with all failed relationships there are lessons to be learned. I am grateful though that both parties were able to reach an agreement on the matter and move on with our lives,” he wrote.
The race for House District 5 includes one other Republican, Doug Adams, in the GOP primary, while incumbent Democrat Ed Lieser is running unopposed.
Reached by telephone, Myers said the order of protection does not undermine the strength of his candidacy or his ability to serve effectively in the state legislature.
“I feel motivated and hopeful about the future, and I’m confident that I can be a strong candidate and represent my community if elected,” he said. “I have had some personal demons in the past but I’ve dealt with them and emerged a stronger person.”
Myers is a graduate of Flathead High School and an honors graduate of Gonzaga University. He earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and had a legal practice in Pennsylvania.
He’s since opened his own legal practice in Whitefish, specializing in civil litigation, family law, oil and gas law, immigration law, NFA gun trusts and criminal defense. Myers serves on various nonprofit boards, once served on Kalispell’s school board and coaches legislative debate at Flathead High.