MANCHESTER – Republican presidential candidate Robert Haines was more than two hours late yesterday for his arraignment in Manchester District Court on a disorderly conduct charge.

Haines, 60, of 509 Lake Ave., then had to be escorted from the courtroom, because he was disrupting the court proceedings by loudly announcing his arrival and disparaging the charge against him.

When it was his turn to be arraigned, Haines put his trademark cowboy hat on the table before him and responded to a request for a plea with an emphatic: "Innocent ... innocent."

He several times asked Judge Norman Champagne to throw out the disorderly conduct charge, saying: "It's a waste of taxpayers' money."

The charge alleges he was at the intersection of Elm and Merrimack streets, a little after 6 p.m. on Sept. 19, yelling at people and wouldn't quiet down. Haines said he was just trying to get a stopped motorist to move back out of the crosswalk at the intersection.

"It's a political ploy," said Haines, who alleged he's been targeted by a police department that supports Sen. Hillary Clinton for President.

"The police force is being used to hunt me down," said Haines, who apologized for being late, saying he'd been up until 4 a.m., patrolling the city to keep it safe, and had just awakened. Most nights, he said, he's out until 2 a.m. on his mission of protection.

Haines appeared in court wearing a gunbelt with an empty holster and no bullets, barred by law from possessing them because of a felony conviction.

He was convicted in 1995 of reckless conduct and felonious use of body armor, for an incident that year in which he pointed a loaded rifle at someone outside the former Salty Dog lounge, at Elm and Bridge streets.

This is Haines' fourth bid for the White House, starting with the 1992 election. He sat out the 2000 contest.

Trial on the disorderly conduct charge was set for Dec. 20. When Haines, now free on $500 personal recognizance bail, said: "If I'm not in California, I'll be here," Champagne warned Haines he wasn't being asked to appear, he was being ordered to appear for trial that day.

As he left the courtroom, after his arraignment, Haines was still campaigning for votes, asking for the support of court personnel and prosecutors. "I'm gonna win," he said. "I'm gonna win big."

Haines has a colorful history of campaign trail confrontations with members of the media and the public.

On Tuesday, he generated at least two complaints in Hanover, including an incident where he allegedly licked a young woman's hand before berating her wardrobe. The Dartmouth, the newspaper of Dartmouth College, reported the students saying Haines had "crossed the acceptable boundaries between people."

"Like any southern gentleman I kissed her hand, but I claim the fifth on that," Haines responded when police inquired about the hand lick, according to The Dartmouth.

"The student reported the incident to make sure that no other female students would be subjected to what she had been subjected to," Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone told the college newspaper.

"His conduct with both of these girls comes close to the threshold of a criminal complaint."

Haines allegedly attempted to get into the second student's car, as she watched from a local business, according to her complaint to police.

Giaccone said in an interview with The Dartmouth that Haines is no longer allowed on college property.

►The Dartmouth: Fringe candidate causes concern in Hanover