Some examples of sovereign citizens engaging in dangerous behavior include: Still another example of a sovereign citizen can be found in the case of USA v. Randall Keith-Beane, Heather Ann Tucci-Jarraf, which was concluded in January 2018. Beyond the inconvenience these cases cause, it is the responsibility of the legal community to contest misleading and destructive legal theories with accurate information to create a more just and fair legal system for all citizens of the United States. The FBI picked her up at the White House on a tip from the Secret Service, after she insisted on demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump. There is an argument to be made that restricting sovereign citizens from engaging in paper terrorism is contrary to a persons fundamental right to access to justice. [5] Between alleging that she is a victim of both entrapment[6] and libel,[7] Bauer argued that due to illegitimacy of judges, lawyers, and the federal government as a whole, she is not subject to American laws, taxes, and judgements. [3] See Joe Pometto, Sovereign Citizens: Deconstructing, Decoding And Deflating The Worlds Most Notorious Anti-Government Movement 813 (2020). [25] See, e.g., Mark Baggett, DMV Hearing Featuring Sovereign Citizen Marc Stevens, YouTube (Sep. 16, 2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-lMmPd5-g8 (showing an administrative hearing for a license revocation in which Sovereign Citizen guru Marc Stevens was hired for representation). [54] See Loeser, supra note 40, at 1137 (advocating for soft solutions to the Sovereign Citizen problem, such as procedural and economic reform). [61] These documents are dense and convoluted, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as nonsensical,[62] which ensures that sovereign citizen cases bog down the entire judicial system. The inability of another person to sue them in court. Unsurprisingly, the two represented themselves, rather than hiring attorneys, and claimed they were, essentially, Robin Hoods who stole from the real bank robbers (i.e. c.(M)pQ AotL.bvRQr^L(9CITgey9GJH c,W r3[ ht}NYsrwrIFHd)ZXvlQ! Prices of restaurants, food, transportation, utilities and housing are included. [28] These motions have required multiple reviews by both the Nevada district and appellate courts, as well as countless hours of court hearings pursuant to the motions. [3] See Kana Ruhalter, Sovereign Citizens New Capitol Riot Defense: Im Not a Person, Daily Beast, (Sept. 25, 2021, 4:49 PM), https://bit.ly/3veizVW; see also Bauer Notice, supra note 1, at 31, 3637. at 5861 (noting that this argument stems from Sovereign Citizens importing the definition of driver in some federal statutes as imposing the requirement that to drive one must be engaged in interstate commerce). [44] Sovereign Citizens Movement, supra note 13 (Moorish Sovereigns . Here's a sampling of other recent sovereign cases: Tax evasion HPZm{O CS*h8 `L31 M!$ )>ny %}5qnv|=t #% u Ultimately, the most effective solution would be to remedy our countrys systemic flaws that result in gross legal and economic disparities and form the recruitment pool of disenfranchised citizens which Sovereign leaders can exploit. Sovereign citizens may want to bring their own court reporters to court proceedings. "The RIGHT of the citizen to DRIVE on the public street with freedom from police interference, unless he is engaged in suspicious conduct associated in some manner with criminality is a FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT which must be protected by the courts." People v. 21-cr-00386 (D. D.C. 2021), https://bit.ly/3O7jSOU. endobj Sovereign Citizens: a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. <> [31] See Pometto, supra note 3, at 6786 (discussing the Sovereign citizen toolkit, including buzz words and phrases commonly used at court proceedings). [18] Sovereign Citizens Movement, supra note 13. In sum, challenging systemic fixes such as educational and economic reform are likely the only viable long-term solutions to Sovereign Citizens, as the status quo policies are fueling the exponential increase in Sovereign adherents, leaving courts to essentially chop off a hydras head when dealing with an individual Sovereign case. Legislatures and Courts have established rules to punish those who file frivolous or false lawsuits. [12] Mastrony, supra note 10, at 101721. [36] Adam W. Lasker, Stifling Sovereign Citizens: Tougher Penalties for Unlawful Clouding of Title, 101 Ill. Bar J. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. An oldie but a goodie. LEXIS 2723, at *24 (Ohio Ct. App. [5] See, e.g., Id. The currently pending Nevada criminal case against Kim Blandino exemplifies the practical burdens of the paper war. The legal community can, however, attempt to mitigate the effects sovereign citizens have on the judicial system. Therefore, it could both discourage and disable innocent people from properly utilizing the judicial system. [13] This practice of talking past each other often causes court proceedings to come screeching to a halt.[14]. This is because they believe the U.S. government, and the laws it creates, is illegitimate, and as such they reject most forms of taxation. Mr Glew, who is part of an informal movement of sovereign citizens, told Mr Walton he wanted the case sent to the High Court. Sovereign citizens are known for their problematic behavior in court. [44] See, e.g., The Anti-Government Movement Guidebook, supra note 19; Ligon, supra note 21 (addressing how bleak financial situations motivate jumping on the Sovereign citizen bandwagon). Did this guy learn his lesson? A Geraldton 'sovereign citizen'campaigner has faced court charged with inciting his followers to arrest government ministers and other officials. hb```f``*f`a`_ @ %}|$ 1H%``xMCw MLp8X @U [8] Her arguments, while bizarre, are not new. [10] They are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or sovereign from the United States.[11] Over the past sixty years, several distinct groups evolved and merged to form the modern idea of sovereign citizenship; accordingly, these groups do not belong to a centralized organization with joint leaders or official beliefs but instead share similar broad beliefs about the governments jurisdiction and ability to govern its citizens. Two Childersburg, Ala., men, Gary Wayne Presley and Michael Donald Wilsey both of whom claim to be citizens of the Central Assemblies Union of the Several States of the Union of the States of the United States of America were arrested for filing false foreclosure documents against another man's property, conspiracy and using "sham legal process" in a case that began with traffic violations. In November, the county finally decided to clean up Corrigan's land and send him the bill. Perhaps the most infamous violent incident involving sovereign citizens is the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. [49] See, e.g., supra notes 45 and accompanying text. The sovereign citizen movement is a loose grouping of litigants, activists, tax protesters, financial scheme promoters and conspiracy theorists, who claim to be answerable only to their. [36] Additionally, some attorneys have used Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or its state analog as a basis for sanctioning Sovereign Citizens who file meritless paperwork. Anyone got a follow up? [47] See Michael Crowell, Gatekeeper Orders (Pre-filing Injunctions), UNC Sch. . The sovereign citizen movement does not even recognize U.S. currency as real money. 153, 153 (2015) (describing how Sovereign Citizens will sometimes refer to themselves as freemen of the land or organic citizens as recognition that the current government represents a prior illegitimate usurpation). A sovereign citizen will say that it worked but somebody looking at it from a legal view will say it didn't. Objectively viewed you have two answer, a short answer and a long answer. L. Rev. . [3 SPLC is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 63-0598743). He claimed he never even ran a Google search to check it out. stream In fact, in surveys that were conducted in 2014 and 2015, law enforcement officials believed that terrorist acts by sovereign citizens were of a higher risk than that posed by Neo-Nazis, militants, and racists. 637, 647 (2019) (likening the efforts of Sovereign gurus to the propaganda of snake oil salesmen). Algorta. [45] See Loeser, supra note 40, at 1130 (describing how zealous leaders have claimed that jail will not prevent them from continuing to advocate for the Sovereign Citizen cause). You'd rather not have one in your courtroom. P. 11(c), 37. [59] See Sovereign Citizen Ideology Increasingly Seeping into QAnon, Anti-Defamation League (Jan. 19, 2022), https://bit.ly/3rhszww. Court records are used to elucidate and identify, some of the more common courtroom tactics used by sovereign citizens. 13, 2010), https://bit.ly/3jrLf8t. [16] See Christine M. Sarteschi, Anti-vaxxers, Anti-maskers, and the Sovereign Citizen Movement, N.Y. Daily News (Aug. 14, 2021), https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-anti-vaxxers-anti-maskers-and-the-sovereign-citizen-movement-20210814-3xpmibj26zhpbce3yk74qztu5m-story.html [https://perma.cc/94U9-ZXU3] (describing how Sovereign Citizen rhetoric has pervaded recent lawsuits protesting COVID regulations). Legal challenges to Capitol Riot-related charges signal no hesitation on behalf of sovereign citizens to fight their political battles in court, and, as Pauline Bauers 114-page notice to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia suggests, sovereign citizens are not easily ignored. [39] See Goode, supra note 35 (discussing liens filed against the district attorney in Gadsden, Alaska, and describing dealing with these liens as nightmarish). 4 0 obj Magistrate Walton noted Mr Glew had notentered a plea but had indicated he would plead not guilty to the charge. [12] The grossly disparate nature of the two groups practices and world views means that they might as well be (and often actually are) speaking different languages. [21], Sovereign Citizens have a complex, multi-faceted network of conspiracy ideals upon which their movement is based. Code 391(b) (West 1994). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. [30] Summiting these mountains of filings is a daunting proposition for any court. Beane, who worked as a computer programmer, insisted on the witness stand that it never crossed his mind to research this claim online to validate it. [10] Sovereigns are truly the Baskin Robbins[11] of political movements, with their many flavors complicating the task for opposing counsel to conduct progressive discussions with Sovereigns concerning pending legal matters. (July 5, 2021), https://www.justsecurity.org/77328/sovereign-citizens-more-than-paper-terrorists/ [https://perma.cc/SH98-JLKF] (describing the ideological overlap between Sovereign Citizens and anti-maskers). The burly man struggled to break free as he was escorted out of a courthouse . [58] Reportedly, those who both follow Q-Anon and subscribe to the idea of sovereign citizenship believed that the allegedly illegitimate 2020 election would be overthrown and former president Donald Trump would ascend to the presidency as the successor to Ulysses S. Grantthe last legitimate presidentas the 19th president of the United States.[59]. [17] See id. Never on its own merits, that is. If the radical beliefs that originally defined Sovereign Citizens have faded, what contemporary forces perpetuate the groups existence? Minnesota Law Review Rev. [3] While Sovereigns have generally moved away from the racist and antisemitic views that originally defined the group, a belief that has never wavered is that the American Government comprises an illegal operation. You will never hear a judge say "You have convinced me with your powerful arguments, oh El Bey Al-Moronic!" What you will see many times is them being sent . During this time, Beane supposedly stumbled upon a YouTube video that was being promoted by Tucci-Jarraf which talked about a secret bank account held by the Federal Reserve, that there was a glitch to access it, and gave instructions on how to use that glitch. Similar schemes run in the past by people like Tucci-Jarraf have resulted in their prosecution for such crimes as tax evasion and fraud. mnlawrev@umn.edu, Home | Contact Publishing Services | My Account. [42], The sovereign citizen movement is broad, varied, and complex. [21] See Mellie Ligon, Comment, The Sovereign Citizen Movement: A comparative Analysis with Similar Foreign Movements and Takeaways for The United States Judicial System, 35 Emory Intl L. Rev. [14] See Francis X. Sullivan, Note, The Usurping Octopus of Jurisdictional/Authority: The Legal Theories of the Sovereign Citizen Movement, 1999 Wis. L. Rev. But that has not been enough to slow the growth of the antigovernment movement. %PDF-1.5 % They keep digging deeper holes for themselves in quixotic confrontations with authority over everything from taxes to traffic tickets to code enforcement. [44] Furthermore, recognized Sovereign leaders have demonstrated a steadfastness to their beliefs, even when it results in personal legal difficulties. They may "win" if they ultimately comply, or broke no laws ( freedom of speech and being stupid) is still legal or win if cop is a punk. See Pometto, supra note 3, at 4445 (describing Moors claim to a diplomatic immunity that precludes U.S. jurisdiction over them). [29] See, e.g., Blandino v. Leavitt, No. [61] See Sovereign Citizens Movement, supra note 13. Reed was also convicted of threatening a judge. ;bL.E;1h|i5^,i+.wE/fQP~S`II>smHc2w&lsBT=7mpRP}`xC:7_:V 0+Pb wg-{sz 4$ [43] See Kalinowski IV, supra note 6, at 15657 (describing how dismissals of Sovereign Citizen claims as meritless leads to reinforcing already cynical views of government). endstream endobj startxref The Georgia property theft cases are only the most recent manifestation of a movement that has swelled rapidly in the last two years, affecting most major law enforcement agencies. Wayne Kenneth Glew, 74, appeared in the Geraldton Magistrates Court as about 40 supporters rallied outside the building. [26] See Sovereign Citizens Movement, supra note 13. However, in my state it has been my experience they recognize the Sheriffs authority but . 21-cr-00386 (D. D.C. 2021) [hereinafter Bauer Notice], https://bit.ly/3vcDdph. L. Rev. See Charles E. Loeser, From Paper Terrorists to Cop Killers: The Sovereign Citizen Threat 93 N.C. L. Rev. . Bond vs. UNITED STATES, 529 US 334 - 2000, The Supreme Court held that the American People are in fact Sovereign and not the States or the Government. 2004) (articulating a four part test for issuing a pre-filing injunction (1) the partys history of litigation, in particular whether he has filed vexatious, harassing, or duplicative lawsuits; (2) if the party files his cases on good faith bases, or only to harass; (3) the extent of the burden on the courts and other parties resulting from the partys filings, and (4) if alternative sanctions are adequate). He is charged with inciting another person to commit an indictable offence, which is deprivation of liberty. 153, 158 (2019). [10] See Michael Mastrony, Note, Common-Sense Responses to Radical Practices: Stifling Sovereign Citizens in Connecticut, 48 Conn. L. Rev. 306, 31924 (2013) (describing the dangerous tendencies of zealous adherents). In Natrona County, Wyo., officials battled for months to force Ed Corrigan to clear debris, broken-down vehicles and other junk from the property he occupies. But if you actually go to a hearing in traffic court (instead of paying the scheduled fine on the ticket) lots of things can happen. [72] This approach targets both attorneys and pro se litigants that have met specific criteria, neutralizing the inevitable argument that restrictions on sovereign citizens are tantamount to discrimination based on political philosophy and creed. Restaurants, food, transportation, utilities and housing are included Leavitt, No community can, however attempt! What contemporary forces perpetuate the groups existence him the bill, Blandino v. Leavitt, No, )... 3 ) organization ( EIN: 63-0598743 ) ] See Sovereign Citizens: a riddle, wrapped in a,... Note 3, at 4445 ( describing Moors claim to a halt. [ 14 ] not. [ hereinafter Bauer Notice ], the Sovereign citizen Threat 93 N.C. L. 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