East Lyme ― David Godbout, a local man who has at times been barred from entering Town Hall without a police escort, was in court Thursday for allegedly impersonating a town employee.

Godbout has a reputation for making prolific Freedom of Information requests and complaining to various state agencies when the requests aren’t fulfilled.

Named as the first official “vexatious requester” in Connecticut, Godbout has been called out by the Freedom of Information Commission for a pattern of “recurring, repetitive and unrelenting” requests for public information intended to harass town employees.

Godbout was charged by East Lyme police in January with criminal impersonation related to allegations he digitally altered his caller ID in phone calls to Town Hall. He did the same thing in calls to the police officer investigating the complaint, according to the affidavit for his arrest warrant.

Godbout, who is representing himself, was at New London Superior Court Thursday with a worn leather briefcase and a handbound stack of documentation two and a half inches thick. While he was not presented to the judge, New London Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney David J. Smith later said the appearance was continued to next month so Godbout can confer with the prosecutor handling the case.

He has not yet entered a plea on the charge, which is a class A misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of one year in jail and up to $2,000 in fines.

In the affidavit, police accused Godbout of making a November phone call to then-First Selectman Elect Dan Cunningham using “spoofing” technology that allows people to conceal their identity and phone number by falsifying the caller ID. Police said Godbout made it look like the call was coming from the first selectman’s administrative assistant in order to get Cunningham to pick up the call.

Godbout in 2019 was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for an incident at the Town Hall involving Sandra Anderson, the administrative assistant to three successive first selectmen whose phone number was spoofed.

Anderson in court documents at the time said Godbout was looking for a waiver from printing and scanning fees for public documents related to the proposed public safety complex. After she directed him to the first selectman at the time, Godbout began to yell, swear and call her names, including “expletive retard.” His aggressive behavior led her to push a panic button in her office.

Godbout’s guilty plea in that case came with the stipulation that he stay away from Anderson and other town employees. He was also told he needed a police escort any time he visited the Town Hall, according to the affidavit.

It was not clear Thursday evening if the stipulation is still in effect.

Godbout could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In 2019, East Lyme became the first town in the state to file a Petition for Relief from a Vexatious Requester based on a law enacted two years prior to curb abuse of the state’s Sunshine Law. The Freedom of Information Commission ruled in favor of the town, allowing local officials to ignore Godbout’s requests for one year.

The commission determined the town’s need “to be free of the vexatious requests and conduct” outweighed Godbout’s right to public information.

e.regan@theday.com