Richard Marple
Richard Marple | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the Merrimack 24 district | |
| In office December 13, 2014 – December 13, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Todd Smith |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Martins |
| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives | |
| In office 2002–2006 | |
| In office 1999–2000 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Richard Marple March 4, 1931 |
| Died | December 13, 2019 (aged 88) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Louise Wheeler Marple |
| Residence(s) | Hooksett, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Education | Dover High School |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
Arthur Richard Marple (March 4, 1931 – December 13, 2019), commonly known as Richard Marple or simply Dick Marple, was an American politician from the town of Hooksett, New Hampshire, who served six terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party.
Early life and education
[edit]Marple was born on March 4, 1931. He attended Dover High School and served four years in the United States Navy.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Marple served as a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1999 to 2000, from 2002 to 2006, and from 2014 until his death in 2019. During his time in office, Marple served on the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee.[3][4] Marple ran for office on eleven occasions, winning six times.[5]
Following his death in office, Marple was succeeded by Democrat Kathleen Martins following her victory in a special election held on March 10, 2020.[6]
Sovereign citizen legislation
[edit]During his tenure in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Marple repeatedly introduced legislation recognizing and seeking to enforce various pseudolegal arguments of the sovereign citizen movement. In 2015, Marple introduced a bill that would allow New Hampshire residents to declare themselves sovereign citizens, with a second bill forcing the "immediate removal from office with no appeal" of any official found to have violated what Marple described as New Hampshire's state sovereignty. Neither bill passed.
In 2016, Marple introduced an unsuccessful bill that would declare New Hampshire landowners the absolute rulers of their property and exempt them from taxes, with attempts to collect property taxes or enforce the law on said property being considered treason. Christopher Cantwell, a white supremacist and Unite the Right rally participant, testified in favor of this bill at a New Hampshire House committee meeting, stating: "I love that I live in a state where a guy like Dick Marple can get elected."
In 2017, Marple sponsored a bill that would recognize sovereign citizens as a legitimate legal class and impose a $10,000 fine on any "corporation" that does not fully explain the nature of a "contract" to a sovereign citizen. The bill had three co-sponsors,[7] one of whom was a member of the Free State Project.[8]
Political positions
[edit]In 2019, Marple sponsored a bill that would ban the addition of fluoride to municipal water supplies.[9]
Marple received a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire in 2005, as well as a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Business between 2019 and 2020.[10]
Legal issues
[edit]On May 20, 2016, during his fourth term as a state representative, Marple was arrested on a bench arrest warrant for a misdemeanor charge of driving with an invalid driver's license. He was released on a $4,000 personal recognizance bail.[11]
On November 8, 2016, Election Day, Marple was arrested outside a polling place while campaign for re-election. A passing police officer recognized Marple as having an outstanding arrest warrant due to his failure to appear in court the previous month for driving with a suspended license in December 2014. Marple was re-elected to a fifth term in the House on the same day as his arrest.[12]
In 2017, when Marple returned to court to defend himself on a charge of driving with a suspended license, he engaged in a long rant against the judge, claiming that she had no jurisdiction in his case because she had not filled out his "affidavit of truth", that she had been convicted of violations by a common law court, and that he was not required to have a license. After Marple refused to participate in his trial and referred to the proceedings as a "fraud", the judge left the courtroom.
Marple was later found guilty of the charge against him and ordered to pay $310 in fines,[7] to be suspended in the event that he had no vehicle infractions within the next six months.[8]
Personal life and death
[edit]Marple married his wife of 61 years, Louise Wheeler Marple of Hooksett, while serving as a New Hampshire state trooper. They had a son and a daughter.
Marple was devoted to Shriner charities and was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Marple died at the age of 88 on December 13, 2019.[1][2][13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Dick Marple". Cremation Society of New Hampshire. December 13, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Dick Marple Obituary". Legacy.com. December 15, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Dick Marple". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Dick Marple's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ "MARPLE, RICHARD (DICK)". FollowTheMoney.org. OpenSecrets. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Kathleen Martins". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Weill, Kelly (January 4, 2018). "Republican Lawmaker: Recognize Sovereign Citizens or Pay $10,000 Fine". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Neiwert, David (December 21, 2017). "New Hampshire legislator introduces bill to protect 'sovereign citizen' claims". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ LaCasse, Alexander (March 24, 2019). "House Republicans work to ban fluoride in public water". Foster's Daily Democrat. Concord, New Hampshire. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ "Dick Marple's Ratings and Endorsements". Vote Smart. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ Proulx, Melissa (May 21, 2016). "State rep. for Hooksett arrested on electronic bench warrant". New Hampshire Union Leader. Hooksett, New Hampshire. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ "N.H. State Rep Arrested, Re-elected On The Same Day". New Hampshire Public Radio. November 10, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ Sylvia, Andrew (January 22, 2020) [December 19, 2019]. "Hooksett state Rep. Richard Marple remembered fondly". New Hampshire Union Leader. Hooksett, New Hampshire. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
