An East Laurinburg commissioner and his son were charged with communicating threats and trespassing after a constituent said they men got into dispute with her and her husband.

According to a sheriff's report, Mayor-Pro Tem Marshall Ralph Stevens is charged with one count of communicating threats and one count of second degree trespassing. His son, 44-year-old Marshall Ralph Stevens Jr., is charged with two counts of communicating threats and one count of second-degree trespassing.

The Stevens are accused of going to the home of Agnes Sturdivant Friday night and confronting her about comments that she and her husband made at the Laurinburg City Council last week. The Sturdivants have been vocal about how the town is operated, including a recent decision to levy a 30 cents property tax.

Sturdivant said the incident started after she and her husband, Edwin pulled into their driveway at around 9:45 p.m.

According to Sturdivant, Ralph Stevens Jr. said "You want trouble, I'll give you trouble" while poking her husband in the chest with his finger. Anges said when she came around the car to help her husband, she was also poked and threatened.

Edwin Sturdivant said he thought the younger Stevens had been drinking and was trying to provoke a fight.

"We didn't want to start any trouble," Edwin Sturdivant said.

Agnes Sturdivant said that a group of people standing across the street came over when they saw her calling the police and pulled Marshall Stevens Jr. off the property.

The group included Commissioner Stevens, she said. Then the younger Stevens broke free from the group and came back and made several threats, including that he would run them out of town, burn their house down and kill them, according to Agnes Sturdivant.

When Ralph Jr. left the property and his 64-year-old father approached, threatening to beat them up, Agnes Sturdivant said.

"My civil rights have been violated," she said.

She said she thinks the confrontation may also stem from the complaints Edwin Sturdivant aired at the Laurinburg City Council meeting last week about his neighbors regularly burn waste in their yards.

According to Sturdivant, the Stevenses felt they were mentioned, although Edwin Sturdivant said he did not use any names.

The commissioner and his son could not be reached for comment.

The Stevens were each released from jail on a written promise to appear for their court date, which is Jan. 13.

Mayor Randy Miller said he thought the charges were "silly and pathetic."

When asked if the board might try to remove or censor Stevens, Miller said "If Marshall is found guilty, I will have to take the appropriate legal steps."

Miller said it was likely that Commissioner Stevens could not be reached because he was out "delivering hams and turkeys to the unfortunate."