The Utah Supreme Court will decide just how goofy a political wannabe in Utah has to get before he can officially be called a stalker under the law.

The court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case where one longtime Republican activist wants a court-ordered injunction barring him from any contact with another longtime Republican activist thrown out.

The injunction was issued last year against Mike Ridgway, who at the time was running for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination against Orrin Hatch. It ordered Ridgway to stay away from Republican activist Mark Towner and his family, and even avoid e-mail contact.

Attorney Troy Booher argued that confrontations between Ridgway and Towner occurred 18 months apart, hardly a pattern of harassment. He called the confrontations political disagreements rather that threatening actions, noting the last incident stemmed from Towner's umbrage at Ridgway's passing out fliers opposing Towner's candidacy for state Senate.

But Peter Stirba, Towner's attorney, said there were many times Ridgway's actions made the Towners feel threatened or harassed and they had reason to believe Ridgway could become violent.

It's been a tough year for Ridgway. He has been evicted or asked to leave several Republican events and was arrested and jailed for allegedly trespassing at one Republican meeting earlier this year.


Towner, meanwhile, says he has officially left the Republican party.