# Nantucket Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Lawman Allegedly Violated Wife's Restraining Order 

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*NANTUCKET, Mass. -- *Nantucket County Sheriff Richard Bretschneider has pleaded not guilty to a charge of violating a restraining order that was taken out against him by his wife.

Bretschneider, 46, was arraigned Monday in Nantucket District Court. He was arrested Friday after allegedly violating the "no contact" provision of the restraining order.

The Cape Cod Times reported in Tuesday's edition that Bretschneider appeared in court with his lawyer, James Merberg, who entered a not guilty plea for his client.

Elizabeth Bretschneider did not attend. She filed for divorce last month, when she also filed an affidavit for an abuse prevention order, saying she feared for her safety.

The protective order prohibited Bretschneider from contacting his wife and ordered him to stay away from her home. A police report said the sheriff followed his wife into the home of a female friend last Tuesday, and eventually left without incident.

Judge W. James O'Neill reminded Bretschneider that his weapons, previously seized by police, would remain confiscated, the newspaper reported. The sheriff was allowed to remain free. He's due back in court April 10

The sheriff did not respond to the newspaper's request for further comment.

Bretschneider won re-election over three opponents in 2004, though he was accused of violating state ethics rules when he wore his uniform during a television interview. The state Ethics Commission prohibits using public resources, including uniforms, for political or private purposes.

Last year, Bretschneider agreed to forfeit $15,000 of his own money to the state for violating campaign finance law in 2004, according to documents from the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. The agency suspended half of the payment pending compliance with campaign finance law in his next election.

_Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed._


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