Donald W. Reid 2012

Contents

What is a Sovereign Citizen

The Posse Comitatus

Sovereign Citizen foundation

Legal status of theories

Identifiers

Vehicular Identifiers

Residential Identifiers

Verbal Identifiers

Tactics: Terrorism and "Paper Terrorism"

Prominent Groups and Individuals

Incidents involving members

Defusing and Safety Techniques

Video

Donald W. Reid 2012

What is a Sovereign Citizen?

Donald W. Reid 2012

“The 'sovereign citizen' movement is a loosely organized

collection of groups and individuals who have adopted a right-

wing anarchist ideology originating in the theories of a group

called the Posse Comitatus in the 1970s. Members of the

Sovereign Citizens movement “openly reject their citizenship

status and claim to exist beyond the realm of government

authority”

Donald W. Reid 2012

Among other things, they believe that:

• The U.S. is “controlled by secret societies or foreign

financiers,”

• Certain constitutional amendments are invalid,

• That practices of financial institutions “are often

illegitimate and unenforceable,”

• That native-born U.S. citizens can “use their birth

certificates to access secret Treasury bank accounts,”

• That government agencies and law enforcement “have no

authority” over them,

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• They are answerable only to common law,

• Are not subject to any statutes or

proceedings at the federal, states or

municipal levels,

• They do not recognize U.S. currency,

• They are "free of any legal constraints“,

• They especially reject most forms of

taxation as illegitimate. Participants in the

movement argue this concept in opposition

to "federal citizens" who they say have

unknowingly forfeited their rights by

accepting some aspect of federal law.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Its adherents believe that virtually all existing government in

the United States is illegitimate and they seek to 'restore' an

idealized, minimalist government that never actually existed. To

this end, sovereign citizens wage war against the government

and other forms of authority using "paper terrorism"

harassment and intimidation tactics, and occasionally resorting

to violence.“

Donald W. Reid 2012

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation classifies

"sovereign citizens" among domestic terror threats as anti-

government extremists.

In 2010 the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) estimated

that approximately 100,000 Americans were "hard-core

sovereign believers" with another 200,000 "just starting out

by testing sovereign techniques for resisting everything from

speeding tickets to drug charges.”

Donald W. Reid 2012

The Posse Comitatus

Donald W. Reid 2012

The Posse Comitatus (from the Latin phrase meaning "force

of the county") is a loosely organized far right social

movement that opposes the United States federal government

and believes in localism. There is no single national group,

and local units are autonomous.

Donald W. Reid 2012

The key distinguishing characteristic of the sovereign

citizen movement is its extreme anti-government ideology,

couched in conspiratorial, pseudohistorical, pseudolegal

and sometimes racist language. Many extremist movements

in the 20th century have been anti-government in the sense

that they opposed governmental policies, but few have

been so purely anti-government that they challenged its

very legitimacy. In fact, a number of extremist movements,

from the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s to the anticommunist

groups of the 1950s and 1960s, attempted with some

success to ally themselves with government.

Donald W. Reid 2012

However, beginning in the late

1960s, a number of right-wing

fringe groups formed that

questioned the authority and nature

of the federal government. Most

grew out of a recently emergent

right-wing tax-protest movement:

arguments about the illegitimacy of

income tax laws were easily

expanded or altered to challenge the

legitimacy of the government itself.

The most important of these

groups was the Posse Comitatus,

which originated in Oregon and

California around 1970.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Members of the Posse Comitatus

believed that the county was the true

seat of government in the United States.

They did not deny the legal existence of

federal or state governments, but rather

claimed that the county level was the

"highest authority of government in our

Republic as it is closest to the people."

The basic Posse manual stated that there

had been "subtle subversion" of the

Constitution by various arms and levels

of government, especially the judiciary.

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There was, in fact, a "criminal conspiracy to

obstruct justice, disfranchise citizens and

liquidate the Constitutional Republic of these

United States."

The Posse wanted to reverse this subversion

and "restore" the Republic through

• Unilateral actions by the people (i.e., the

Posse)

• Actions by the county sheriff. The sheriff,

they argued, was the only constitutional law

enforcement officer.

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Moreover, his most important role was to protect the people

from the unlawful acts of officials of governments like

judges and government agents. Should a sheriff refuse to

carry out such duties, the people (i.e., the Posse) had the

right to hang him. In fact, the two most prominent Posse

symbols to emerge became a sheriff's badge and a hangman's

noose.

Donald W. Reid 2012

The Posse reached its peak in the early 1980s when a farm

crisis in the Midwest allowed Posse leaders to recruit among

angry and desperate farmers. By this time Posse ideology had

developed into an elaborate theory involving an original,

utopian form of government based upon "common law" (the

"de jure" government) that had been subverted and replaced

with an illegitimate, tyrannical government (the "de facto"

government). Americans obeyed the de facto government,

because they had been tricked into believing it was legitimate.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Sovereign Citizen foundation

Donald W. Reid 2012

The concept of a sovereign citizen originated in the Posse

Comitatus movement as a teaching of Christian Identity

minister William P. Gale. The concept has influenced the tax

protester movement, the Christian Patriot movement, and

the redemption movement—the last of which claims that

the U.S. government uses its citizens as collateral against

foreign debt.

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Gale identified the Fourteenth Amendment to the United

States Constitution as the act that converted sovereign

citizens into federal citizens by their agreement to a contract

to accept benefits from the federal government. Other

commentators have identified other acts, including the

Uniform Commercial Code, the Emergency Banking Act,

the Zone Improvement Plan, and the alleged suppression of

the Titles of Nobility Amendment.

Many of those in the movement consider the term

"sovereign citizen" an oxymoron, preferring to view

themselves as sovereign individuals "seeking the Truth".

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Sovereign-citizen leader Richard

McDonald has established State

Citizen Service Centers around

the United States. Writing in

American Scientific Affiliation,

Dennis L. Feucht describes

McDonald's theory, which

claims that there are two classes

of citizens in America:

the "original citizens of the states" (or "States citizens") and

"U.S. citizens." McDonald asserts that U.S. citizens or

"Fourteenth Amendment citizens" have civil rights, legislated to

give the freed black slaves after the Civil War rights comparable

to the unalienable constitutional rights of white state citizens.

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The benefits of U.S. citizenship are received by consent in

exchange for freedom. State citizens consequently take steps

to revoke and rescind their U.S. citizenship and reassert their

de jure common-law state citizen status. This involves

removing one's self from federal jurisdiction and

relinquishing any evidence of consent to U.S. citizenship,

such as a Social Security number, driver's license, car

registration, use of ZIP codes, marriage license, voter

registration, and birth certificate.

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Also included is refusal to pay state and federal income

taxes because citizens not under U.S. jurisdiction are not

required to pay them. Only residents (resident aliens) of

the states, not its citizens, are income-taxable, state citizens

argue. And as a state citizen land owner, one can bring

forward the original land patent and file it with the county

for absolute or allodial property rights. Such allodial

ownership is held "without recognizing any superior to

whom any duty is due on account thereof" (Black's Law

Dictionary). Superiors include those who levy property

taxes or who hold mortgages or liens against the property.

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Legal status of theories

Donald W. Reid 2012

Critics of sovereign citizen theory

assert that sovereign citizens fail to

sufficiently examine the context of

the case laws from which they cite,

and ignore adverse evidence, such

as Federalist No. 15, where

Alexander Hamilton expressed the

view that the Constitution placed

everyone personally under federal

authority.

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Variations of the argument that an individual is "sovereign"

have been rejected by the courts, especially in tax cases such

as:

• Johnson v. Commissioner,

• Wikoff v. Commissioner,

• United States v. Hart,

• Risner v. Commissioner,

• Maxwell v. Snow,

• Rowe v. Internal Revenue Serv.,

• Heitman v. Idaho State Tax Commission,

• Cobin v. Commissioner,

• Glavin v. United States, and

• United States v. Greenstreet.

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The Internal Revenue Service has included "free born"

or "sovereign" citizenship in its list of frivolous claims

that may result in a $5000 penalty when used as the

basis for an inaccurate tax return.

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Identifiers

Donald W. Reid 2012

It must be stressed that extremist identifiers should be used

only to alert officers to take safety precautions. They are not

indicators of criminal activity and should not be treated as

such.

Visible extremist identifiers are often observed on motor

vehicles and may be noticed at a person’s residence as well.

Verbal identifiers may present themselves during conversations

with such persons.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Vehicles belonging to extremists often display clues as to the

ideological convictions of their owners or drivers. These

include, but are not limited to, the following identifiers.

Vehicular Identifiers

Donald W. Reid 2012

Bogus license plates or driver’s licenses

Many anti-government extremists do not believe the government

has the right to require items such as license plates or driver’s

licenses. Some even view such items as "contracts," the use of

which implies consent to the authority of the government.

Donald W. Reid 2012

As a result, many extremists create their own license plates,

either to make a political statement or simply to fool law

enforcement officers. These homemade plates range from

crude cardboard plates sporting terms such as "Militia" or

"UCC1-207" to realistic looking metal plates with fictitious

countries on them such as "Washitaw Nation" or "British West

Indies."

Donald W. Reid 2012

Many extremists may also have fake vehicular

documents such as bogus licenses and

registrations. Another identifier that sometimes

appears on driver’s licenses is the use of strange

phrases or abbreviations following someone’s

signature.

Donald W. Reid 2012

“Threat, Duress, or Coercion.”

“Under Duress”

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Common terms used in this way

include "UCC1-207" and "TDC"

(the former indicates that they are

not giving up their rights by signing;

the latter indicates that they have

signed under "threat, duress, or

coercion"). Similarly, the complete

absence of plates, license and

registration might also be a sign.

Donald W. Reid 2012

A sticker affixed to a vehicle window referencing U.S. Code

which describes the penalty for hindering one's free exercise or

enjoyment of privileges secured by the Constitution--such as

being detained for a traffic stop. This warning claims an extra

"use fee" of $5,000 per person per day for violations.

An example of a U.S. Constitution

Ranger vehicle door insignia

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Many people use bumper stickers

to indicate their political or

cultural beliefs. Extremists will

often do this to an unusual

degree, displaying so many that

they turn their vehicles into what

some call "ideology-mobiles."

They might also have offensive or

simply very unusual bumper

stickers, such as "White Power" or

"Americans Don’t Wear U.N.

Blue."

Bumper stickers, placards, stickers.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Officers should pay attention to strange or unusual

modifications to vehicles. Some extremists have been

known to turn the whole tailgate of their pickup truck into

the equivalent of a huge bumper sticker; others paint their

vehicles with homemade camouflage patterns. Some

vehicles may even display warnings to "government agents."

Any drastic and odd modification to a vehicle, especially in

order to express some political view, ought to be a warning

sign.

Unusual modifications to their vehicle.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Residential Identifiers

Just as extremists sometimes adorn

their vehicles with items that serve as

warning signs to law enforcement,

they can also do the same to their

residences. Officers who approach

such homes or apartments should be

appropriately careful.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Donald W. Reid 2012

Some extremists display "No

Trespassing" signs on their

property that are noticeably

different from normal "No

Trespassing" signs: they are

directed specifically at law

enforcement officers or

government agents. Sometimes

these notices are homemade, but

several places sell manufactured

versions of these signs. Officers

have also observed signs and

placards that included warnings

to burglars that the residence is

protected by the "militia."

Signs directed at law enforcement.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Obviously, Klan flags, Nazi flags,

"white power" flags, and similarly

blatant displays serve as clear

warning signs. Sometimes,

however, the banners or flags

may be a little more subtle.

Extremists may display a sign

with a red line through a United

Nations logo or an upside down

American flag. An upside down

flag is traditionally a sign of

distress and extremists sometimes

use it to indicate that the country

is in distress.

Unusual banners or flags.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Some extremists go so far as to turn their residences into

miniature fortresses. They may reinforce walls, store

weapons in every room of a house, or in other ways

prepare for some sort of violent conflict. Many such

measures will not be visible from the outside, although

some might be. Boarded up windows in an occupied house,

slits that could be used to fire weapons through, cleared

"fields of fire," metal plating on walls—these are all

possible signs of homemade fortifications.

Signs of "fortification."

Donald W. Reid 2012

Conversation with extremists, particularly during

situations such as traffic stops in which an

extremist might contest an officer’s authority, may

provide clues to officers that they are dealing with

a member of an extremist group or movement.

The extremists who are most likely to offer

identifying verbal clues are those involved in anti-

government movements or groups. Members of

such groups have evolved a wide variety of verbal

and other tactics to use against police officers

during traffic stops.

Verbal Identifiers

Donald W. Reid 2012

Some anti-government extremists will demand to see a law

enforcement officer’s "oath of office." Some may demand to

see other documents during a traffic stop such as "arrest

warrants."

Asking for "Oath of Office"

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Some extremists have produced warnings, questionnaires, and

other items designed to be handed to police officers who

have pulled the extremist over. These include special

"Miranda Warnings" for officers as well as "Public Servants

Questionnaires" that list more than twenty leading questions

officers are ostensibly supposed to answer and sign their

name to. People who ask that officers read or sign certain

documents before agreeing to speak or answer questions may

be giving verbal clues that they adhere to extreme ideologies.

Giving particular documents to officers

Donald W. Reid 2012

Donald W. Reid 2012

Many anti-government extremists

have developed elaborate religious

or political justifications for why

they can ignore traffic laws and

regulations. A person without a

valid driver’s license or registration

who gives unusual Biblical or

Constitutional rationalizations for

his or her actions, such as "this

Bible is my driver’s license," may

be identifying themselves with

verbal clues.

Unusual/Inapplicable references to

Bible/Constitution.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Members of extreme anti-government groups believe in a

plethora of unusual pseudolegal theories. Officers who are

subjected to a torrent of language about the Uniform

Commercial Code, "martial law," "emergency war powers," the

common law, or similar topics should consider it as a warning

sign.

Use of strange/pseudolegal language.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Many extremists will simply tell an

officer who has pulled them over or

is at their front door that the officer

simply has no authority or

jurisdiction over them. Members of

extremist groups are often taught to

refuse to roll down windows for

officers, or only to roll windows

down an inch. Extremists may

demand that an officer provide some

sort of "proof of jurisdiction"

before the extremist will cooperate

Contesting authority or jurisdiction.

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Tactics: Terrorism and "Paper Terrorism"

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In the early 1990s, particularly

after the deadly standoffs at

Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992

and Waco, Texas, in 1993, the

extreme right experienced a

considerable resurgence. Many

older groups like the National

Alliance increased in number,

while entirely new movements

like the militias developed.

Moribund since the decline of

the Posse, the sovereign

citizen movement enjoyed a

significant rise in numbers and

activity.

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This activity included acts of violence, usually

against representatives of the government that

sovereign citizens so hated. In October 1993,

extremist fugitives Linda Lyon Block and

George Sibley murdered an Opelika, Alabama,

police officer in a shootout in a shopping

center parking lot.

In early 1994, a band of extremists associated

with the group Juris Christian Assembly

viciously assaulted Karen Mathews, the

Stanislaus County, California, recorder, outside

her home.

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In May 1998, sovereign citizen and Christian

Identity adherent George Wolf shot two

volunteer firefighters in Ashtabula County,

Ohio, because their vehicle blocked him.

Occasionally, sovereign citizen groups even

engaged in high-profile standoffs with

authorities.

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In the spring of 1996, the Montana

Freemen held off federal authorities

attempting to arrest them (on a variety

of charges) for 81 days near Jordan,

Montana.

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The following spring,

members of Richard

McLaren's faction of the

so-called "Republic of

Texas" initiated another

armed confrontation in

far-West Texas when they

kidnapped a local couple

in response to the arrest

of one of their members.

One member was killed

during the standoff.

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Yet despite a pattern of violent activity, the

preferred weapon of members of the sovereign

citizen movement is what has come to be called

"paper terrorism." Paper terrorism involves the use

of fraudulent legal documents and filings, as well as

the misuse of legitimate documents and filings, in

order to intimidate, harass and coerce public

officials, law enforcement officers and private

citizens.

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Many paper terrorism tactics originated

during the days of the Posse Comitatus,

but were refined and popularized in the

1990s and distributed in books, during

seminars and through the Internet.

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One of the first tactics of the resurgent

sovereign citizen movement was the

formation of vigilante "common law courts."

Members of these courts used them as a

forum for grievances against the "de facto"

government or for assistance in attempts to

harass their enemies. A number of common

law courts issued threats of various kinds

against public officials.

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One of the earliest and most visible

such courts was established in

Tampa, Florida, in 1993 by Emilio

Ippolito and various followers.

Calling itself the "Constitutional

Court of We the People," the court

moved in short order from granting

divorces to issuing arrest warrants

against judges. Eventually Ippolito

and six followers were convicted in

1997 for interfering with trials in

Florida and California and for

sending letters threatening to kidnap

and arrest judges and jury members.

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Other common law courts were equally defiant; in

the Midwest, two leaders of a central Ohio

common law court became involved in violent

confrontations during traffic stops, resulting in one

death. Common law courts were especially active

from 1994 through 1997, but because of their

relatively high visibility, they were more vulnerable

to concerted action by law enforcement officers.

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In Missouri and Illinois, for instance, dozens of

common law court members were arrested in

1996 on harassment-related charges related to

their use of bogus liens. This vigilance on the

part of law enforcement helped shut down the

common law courts in those states. More

generally, such vigilance caused sovereign citizens

to abandon common law courts as a preferred

tactic.

Donald W. Reid 2012

The filing of frivolous lawsuits

and liens against public officials,

law enforcement officers and

private citizens, on the other

hand, has remained a favorite

harassing strategy. These paper

"attacks" intimidate their targets

and have the beneficial side

effect of clogging up a court

system that sovereign citizens

believe is illegitimate.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Frivolous liens became such a problem in the 1990s that a

majority of states were forced to pass new laws to make

filing them illegal, their removal easier, or both. Today,

eager sovereign citizens can use the Internet to download a

variety of boilerplate forms and documents to wield

against the government. More adventurous types can

matriculate at "schools" such as the Erwin Rommel School

of Law; additionally, a number of activists, ranging from

David Wynn Miller to The Aware Group, hold seminars

around the country to teach people -- for a price -- about

the latest tactics and weapons.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Sovereign citizens also widely use fictitious financial instruments

such as phony money orders, sight drafts and comptrollers'

warrants. Believing paper money to be invalid, the movement

easily justifies the creation of entirely new forms of "money."

From "Public Office Money Certificates" in the early 1980s to the

money orders and warrants of the 1990s, this has been a

particularly popular tactic because it potentially allows the

sovereign citizen to get something for nothing whenever a

government agency, bank, business or private citizen mistakenly

accepts one of the bogus instruments. Groups like the Montana

Freemen, Family Farm Preservation and the Republic of Texas

put out billions of dollars (face value) of such instruments before

finally being shut down.

Donald W. Reid 2012

The most recent surge in the use of fictitious financial

instruments began in 1999 with the development of a

tactic called "Redemption" (sometimes known as "Accept

for Value"), based on the theories of Roger Elvick, a

sovereign citizen and white supremacist convicted on

fraud charges in the 1980s. Redemptionists argue that by

using a complicated process known as "regaining one's

straw man" they can establish special Treasury

Department accounts and issue bogus instruments they

call "sight drafts" to pay off debts or make purchases.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Donald W. Reid 2012

Should law enforcement officials or others interfere

with this activity, redemptionists are told to file falsified

I.R.S. Form 8300s against them, alleging that such

officials engaged in a suspicious currency transaction.

By the end of 1999, Redemption had swept across the

country. Sovereign citizen organizations like The Aware

Group, Rightway L.A.W. and the Republic of Texas,

among others, regularly hold Redemption seminars to

teach the tactic to eager audience members.

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A number of practitioners have been

arrested since 1999 in Idaho, Ohio, Oregon,

West Virginia and other states for attempting

to pass the fictitious sight drafts or for

harassing public officials attempting to halt

the practice. In 2001, it is probably the single

most popular sovereign citizen tactic.

Donald W. Reid 2012

However, sovereign citizens have a number of

other weapons at their disposal. Many have

engaged in a variety of frauds and scams,

often targeting people with similar ideological

beliefs in what might be called affinity fraud.

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A few of these schemes, most

notably those perpetrated by the

Colorado-based We the People and

the Florida-based Greater Ministries

International in the 1990s, took in

millions of dollars. Other sovereign

citizen groups, like the Embassy of

Heaven and the Washitaw Nation,

have specialized in the creation of

fictitious car-related documents

ranging from drivers' licenses to

license plates.

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Still others, including the Civil Rights

Task Force and the Constitution

Rangers, have created fictitious law

enforcement agencies, complete with

fake identification cards, badges and

even raid jackets. People associated

with the Civil Rights Task Force

have advocated what they term

"reverse intimidation": interrogating

the spouses of law enforcement

officers who have had dealings with

members

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Even when jailed, sovereign citizens often continue their

activities. They teach other prisoners their tactics; as a

result, a number of non-extremist prisoners have engaged

in such sovereign citizen stratagems as filing bogus liens.

Convicted drug dealer and prisoner Kenneth E. Speight,

for instance, filed more than $12 billion in liens against

federal judges and prosecutors in Connecticut. According

to federal officials, a fellow prisoner associated with the

Montana Freemen taught Speight how to harass people

with liens.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Prominent Groups and Individuals

Donald W. Reid 2012

Sovereign citizens constitute a large and energetic

extremist movement. Activity can be found in

virtually every state, from pirate radio stations in

Florida to secessionist groups in Hawaii. Well

over a hundred sovereign citizen Web sites have

been identified. This list includes some -- but by

no means all -- of the movement's notable groups

and leaders.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Former publisher of Anti-Shyster

magazine (now published via the

Web) and aggressive practitioner of

"guerrilla lawfare," the Dallas, Texas-

based Adask was especially active in

the 1990s in promoting the use of

bogus liens. In addition to his Web

site, Adask also hosts a satellite radio

show.

Alfred Adask.

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Published from Central Point,

Oregon, by Robert Kelly, it is the

leading publication promoting

sovereign citizen tactics and

activities, especially Redemption.

The American's Bulletin

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A Greenville, South Carolina,

sovereign citizen group led by John

Howard Alexander that is active in

marketing "common law" trusts and

Redemption over the Internet and at

seminars across the country.

The Aware Group

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A small group led by Paul Revere

(formerly Craig Fleshman) and based

in Stayton, Oregon, the Embassy

markets bogus license plates and

other automobile documents to

followers nationwide. It was evicted

from its former location for

nonpayment of local taxes.

Followers -- called "Ambassadors of

the Kingdom of Heaven" -- disdain

obedience to any earthly authority.

The Embassy of Heaven

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From Isabella, Missouri, Gordon

runs a "School of Common Law,"

which he also promotes on his radio

show, "The American Law Hour."

George Gordon

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Host of the "American Sovereign" radio

show and, with Lee Parker, director of

Freedom Bound International, a

"common law service center," Johnson

holds seminars nationwide to promote

his books, trusts and other products.

Brent Johnson

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This Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based

sovereign citizen is one of the most

unusual of the "common law gurus"

who travel the country holding

seminars and offering legal advice.

Miller has created his own unique

version of English grammar, one

that even many sovereign citizens

find hard to understand or accept.

He has also been active in Canada.

David Wynn Miller

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The original “Republic of Texas,”

formed in late 1995, soon split into

several competing factions, which

later re-unified in 2002. Daniel

Miller, the leader of one of the

factions, is the “President” of this

sovereign citizen group, which

pretends that Texas is an

independent country.

Republic of Texas

Donald W. Reid 2012

With headquarters in Akron, Ohio,

this group is one of the most active

sovereign citizen groups in the

country, with 15 chapters in at least

10 states. Led by Rick Schramm, Jack

Smith, Jeanne Collins and Mary

Keane, it is one of the major

promoters of Redemption. Some

chapters also reach out to prison

inmates.

Rightway L.A.W.

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Based in Burnsville, Minnesota, Weisman is

a prolific author on "common law" topics

like martial law, the right to travel

(unfettered by traffic laws or automobile

regulations) and so forth. A Christian

Identity adherent, he is also currently one

of the most visible white supremacists

promoting sovereign citizen doctrines.

Charles Weisman

Donald W. Reid 2012

The resurgence of sovereign citizen activity in the 1990s led

to an unexpected development: the appropriation of

sovereign citizen ideology and tactics by a variety of African

American groups. These groups, generally identifying

themselves as "Moors," combine standard sovereign citizen

theories with many new twists and additions of their own.

Some groups are, to varying degrees, Islamic in nature,

while others adhere to various New Age philosophies.

Examples include the Moorish Nation, the United

Mawshakh Nation of Nuurs and the Washitaw Nation. A

number of such groups have ties to "traditional" sovereign

citizen groups. Many of their tactics are the same, too, from

bogus automobile documents to Redemption.

Moorish groups

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Incidents involving members

Donald W. Reid 2012

Convicted Oklahoma City bombing conspirator

Terry Nichols was a member of the sovereign

citizen movement, having asserted individual

sovereignty in at least three court cases.

Donald W. Reid 2012

In May 2010, two police officers in West Memphis, Arkansas

were shot and killed by Joseph T. Kane after Kane and his

father were the subject of a traffic stop. Kane and his father

were later identified as members of the sovereign citizen

movement.

The tragic incident occurred during a rise of sovereign citizen

activity nationwide in 2009-2010. In two incidents in April

and May, a Tennessee sovereign citizen, Walter Fitzpatrick

III, and a Georgia sovereign citizen, Darren Huff, were

arrested in connection with attempts to make “citizens”

arrests of various local officials in Monroe County. In April

2010, a sovereign citizen group calling itself Guardians of

the Free Republics issued ultimatums to all 50 governors to

vacate their offices within 72 hours.

Donald W. Reid 2012

In September 2010, David Russell Myrland, an associate of a

sovereign citizens group, sent emails and placed telephone calls to

various officials of the City of Kirkland, Washington, telling them

to "keep their doors unlocked", that they were going to be

arrested, and that they "should not resist". Myrland also reportedly

threatened federal judges and the chief prosecutor of King

County, Washington. Myrland's threat to arrest the mayor of

Kirkland came about after he was arrested by police. His vehicle

had been impounded after he was found driving with a suspended

license and expired vehicle-license tabs. An unloaded gun with

ammunition nearby had been found on the seat of the car.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Although he was not a law enforcement officer, Myrland

had claimed that he had the authority to form a group of

private citizens to arrest felons in public office "as

permitted by RCW 9A.16.020" (the state statute governing

lawful use of force). On December 2, 2011, Myrland was

sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison

after pleading guilty in connection with the threats he

made, including the threat to forcibly arrest the mayor of

Kirkland, Washington. Myrland is scheduled for release

from Federal prison on December 20, 2013.

Donald W. Reid 2012

In March 2011, a central figure in the sovereign citizen

movement named Samuel Lynn Davis pleaded guilty to 31

counts of money laundering in Federal district court in

Nevada. Davis was snared in a sting operation after he

agreed to launder more than $1.29 million in what he

believed to be illicit funds. Davis accepted $73,782 fees to

launder the money, not realizing he was dealing with Federal

law enforcement agents. In October 2011, Davis was

sentenced to four years and nine months in Federal prison,

and was ordered to pay over $95,000 in restitution. As of

late July 2012, Davis is classified as a fugitive, having failed

to surrender to authorities to begin his prison sentence in

June 2012.

Donald W. Reid 2012

On February 1, 2012, Timothy Garrison, an accountant from

Mount Vernon, Washington was sentenced to three and a half

years in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to tax fraud.

He admitted to having filed about 50 falsified tax returns.

Federal prosecutors contended that Garrison's actions cost the

Internal Revenue Service over 2.4 million dollars in tax

revenues. Prosecutors also stated that the sixty year old

accountant had described himself as a “sovereign citizen”

beyond the reach of state and federal law. Garrison had

previously served time in federal prison in the 1980s in

connection with fraud against investors in a cattle ranch.

Garrison is scheduled for release from Federal prison on July

16, 2014.

Donald W. Reid 2012

On June 18, 2012, Francis Schaeffer

Cox, who had asserted that he was a

sovereign citizen, was found guilty in

the United States District Court in

Anchorage, Alaska, of several felony

charges including conspiracy to

commit murder.

On June 20, 2012, Anson Chi was

arrested by federal authorities for

allegedly trying to blow up a natural

gas pipe line in a residential area of

Plano, Texas.

Donald W. Reid 2012

On July 19, 2012, Martin Jonassen, who had described himself as a

sovereign citizen, was found guilty by a jury in a federal court of

kidnapping his 21 year old daughter, who he allegedly had sexually

abused, and of obstruction of justice. During the incident, the

daughter escaped from a hotel room where Jonassen had been

holding her, ran naked into a store and begged for help. Jonassen

was caught on surveillance footage chasing her, dragging her out of

the store and pushing her into his car. The daughter reportedly "had

never been to school and only read books about religion, history and

the government approved by her father." She had seen a doctor only

once in her life.

Donald W. Reid 2012

On July 24, 2012, Shawn Rice was found guilty in federal

court in Nevada in connection with the same money-

laundering scheme that resulted in the conviction of Samuel

Lynn Davis. The guilty verdicts came on one count of

conspiracy to commit money laundering, thirteen counts of

money laundering, and four counts of failure to appear in

court in connection with time that Rice spent as a fugitive.

Rice, who had also falsely claimed to be a lawyer and a rabbi,

was described as "a leader in the anti-government 'sovereign

citizens' movement."During the trial, Rice tried to argue that

the presiding federal judge had no authority to render a

judgment against Rice.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Defusing and Safety Techniques

Donald W. Reid 2012

Officers who quickly recognize that the person with whom

they are dealing may be a member of an extremist group or

movement can take safety precautions near the outset of an

encounter. Often, however, law enforcement officers may not

realize the nature of the situation until it has already escalated

to some degree.

Because of their beliefs, extremists have the potential to

transform a minor situation into a major one. They may react

out of fear, mistrust, or simply anger. They may act in ways

that would appear to be self-destructive or self-defeating.

Their beliefs may provoke them into confrontations that

under ordinary circumstances would never occur. Officers are

often at risk when this happens.

Donald W. Reid 2012

There are some strategies that may lessen risks to

officers and help insure that no one is hurt or

injured in a confrontation. Most of these involve

defusing techniques. Defusing techniques are methods

commonly used to manage anger in a variety of

circumstances. Typically they are designed to help

halt increases in anger and to allow angered

individuals an opportunity to vent some of their

rage relatively harmlessly. Some of them can work

well when used with extremists in high tension

situations.

Donald W. Reid 2012

The two key defusing techniques are ventilation and

active listening. Ventilation essentially involves letting

the other person speak, giving him or her a chance to

"ventilate" and discharge their anger. When engaging in

ventilation, one should not argue with the individual,

offer advice, or defend oneself; the purpose is to let the

other person "blow off steam," thus decreasing their

anger because they have been given a chance to express

it.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Active listening can occur after ventilation. Once the other

person has calmed down somewhat, it is possible to use

active listening techniques to further disarm the person.

Active listening techniques include validation, whereby the

listener lets the speaker know that he or she understands the

speaker is upset or distressed; verification, by which the listener

indicates to the speaker that he or she understands what the

speaker is saying and how the speaker is feeling; and reflective

questioning, whereby the listener asks the speaker questions

about what he or she has just said, in order to draw the

speaker out and get the speaker to slow down and consider

what he or she is talking about.

Donald W. Reid 2012

For law enforcement officers, the goal in using defusing

techniques is usually to slow the pace of an encounter down

and keep the situation under control. Often this can be

accomplished simply by giving extremists an opportunity to

vent their anger and suspicion rather than have it build up

uncontrollably.

Officers can usually develop a variety of

such techniques to be used in these

circumstances and in other circumstances

involving stressed individuals.

Donald W. Reid 2012

In addition, there are other safety

techniques that can help insure an

officer’s safety during an unexpected

encounter with a person with extreme

ideologies

Safety Techniques

Donald W. Reid 2012

If an officer realizes that he or she is in a potentially dangerous

situation involving an extremist, one of the first things to do is

to call for backup. There is no point in proceeding with an

encounter when the officer may clearly be at a disadvantage

vis-à-vis the extremist. Moreover, once an officer has made the

decision to call for backup, that officer should wait until that

backup arrives before proceeding. Several violent encounters

have occurred where officers called for backup during a traffic

stop involving an extremist, but did not wait for the backup to

arrive before confronting the extremist.

Call for backup

Donald W. Reid 2012

Don’t get confrontational/Don’t argue their beliefs. When

an extremist spouts outlandish theories or makes outrageous

statements, it is entirely natural to try to argue against those

views. However, this is almost invariably counterproductive,

as there is little chance that the extremist will change his or

her mind, and a much greater chance of raising the agitation

level of that person. Similarly, even though extremists may

well act very disrespectfully towards law enforcement

officers, becoming confrontational in turn is

counterproductive and may worsen the situation.

Donald W. Reid 2012

This is a specialized defusing technique. Rather than

argue with extremists, officers can simply hear them

out or respond with noncommittal answers such as

"I never thought of it that way before" or "that’s a

little too complex for me right now." Officers

should always accept literature offered to them by

extremists.

Act dumb

Donald W. Reid 2012

Distract their attention/change the subject.

Sometimes an officer may spot an opportunity to

distract an extremist or derail their train of

thought. If an extremist hands literature to an

officer, the officer can start asking questions about

the literature and the group or movement that

promotes it. An officer can ask a person where he

or she learned his or her beliefs or theories.

Anything that can cause an extremist to explain

rather than argue will probably help lower the

confrontation level to some degree.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Because extremists often view law enforcement officers more

as symbols of authority or oppression, officers may have some

success in lowering confrontation levels by "humanizing"

himself or herself. If the extremist can come to see the officer

as an individual, perhaps just a person "doing his/her job,"

rather than simply as a symbol of oppressive or tyrannical

government, then the individual may be less confrontational.

Humanizing

Donald W. Reid 2012

One of the key strategies in confrontation avoidance is to

convince the extremist to decide not to pursue confrontation

at that time and place. If an officer, for instance, can convince

an extremist that the real place to argue his or her theories is in

the courtroom, not on the side of the road, then the officer

may have eliminated the chances for confrontation at that

moment.

Get them to postpone oppositional tactics

Donald W. Reid 2012

In the final analysis, if a situation looks too risky for the law

enforcement officer to proceed, then the officer should

simply decide to pursue the matter at another time. An

officer gains nothing by needlessly placing himself or herself

at risk; whenever possible, it should be the officer who

chooses the time and place for a confrontational situation,

not the extremist.

Back off

Donald W. Reid 2012

Video

Donald W. Reid 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_y-gLm9Hrw

This Southern Poverty Law Center video was created to

help law enforcement agencies better prepare for

encounters with "sovereign citizens." In the case of two

West Memphis, Ark., police officers, Brandon Paudert

and Bill Evans, a routine traffic stop of father-and-son

sovereign citizen duo Jerry and Joe Kane in May proved

fatal when son Joe, 16, leaped from the car firing an AK-

47, cutting down both officers. The Kanes died in a

shootout with police an hour later in a Wal-Mart parking

lot after wounding two more officers. SPLC estimates

that as many as 300,000 people may consider themselves

sovereign citizens — and the number is growing.

Donald W. Reid 2012

Information obtained from

Law Enforcement and Open

News Sources