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RESPONDING TO AND MANAGING EXTREMISTS AND SOVEREIGN
CITIZENS IN THE COURT SETTING
Attorney Roy Korte
414‐688‐6908
COURT SECURITY CONFERENCE
March 5, 2020
THREE BROAD TOPICS History, beliefs and practices
Dealing with filings, demands, threats and liens
Dealing with sovereign citizens as parties
OVERVIEW OF BELIEFS: A BRIEF HISTORY
• Posse Comitatus • 1980s farm crisis origins • 1990s financial crisis • Growth in anti‐government ideology
• Sovereign Citizens • Constitutionalists • Freemen • Sovereigns
National Threat Priority • The FBI has elevated racially‐motivated violent extremism to a “national threat priority.”
• The “national threat priority” designation puts thosegroups or individuals on the same footing as “ISIS” interms of the resources the FBI will devote to it.
BELIEFS BASED ON CONSPIRACY
• Original or “du jure” (legitimate) v “defacto” (illegitimate) government
• Hidden constitutional amendments • 13th amendment: Lawyers are nobility and cannot be Citizens or serve in government.
• All or most constitutional amendments invalid
• 14th amendment citizens (small c) V Citizens
• Sovereign—separate/independent Not “citizens”
BELIEFS BASED ON CONSPIRACY: HIDDEN CONTRACTS
• Birth certificate • Drivers license • Social security number • Professional licenses • Income and other taxes • Zip codes • Traffic tickets • Civil and criminal cases • Anything involving contact with government
BELIEFS BASED ON CONSPIRACY: HIDDEN CONTRACTS
Will often try to “revoke” these hidden “contracts.”
Claim they are not bound by such “contracts” unless they specifcally consent.
REDEMPTION THEORY
• Government pledged citizens as “assets” which were then used to borrow money whengovernment went bankrupt in 1933.
• Name in all capital letters denotes this type of person.
• Birth certificates pledged as collateral
REDEMPTION THEORY 2
• This process created a separate entity for everyperson known as a “strawman” whose name is usually typed in all capital letters. This is differentthan the real person.
• Person can “redeem” their strawman and take control of all their rights.
• Redemption can be done by filing birth certificatewith the state or other steps.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Often are in financial distress • Posse movement had its genesis in financial farm crisis. • Mortgage/financial problems/debts.
• Personal or legal problems.
• Angry at or extremely distrustful of government
• See themselves as victims.
• True believers v. the desperate
SOVEREIGN TRIGGERS
• Often act in response to government action, no matter howminor. • Taxes • Traffic tickets • Civil and criminal cases • Ordinance violations • Zoning • Professional licensure • Anything involving contact with government orbanks/financial institutions.
SOVEREIGN ACTIVITIES
• Renunciation of government “contracts.” • Citizenship • Birth certificates • Etc.
• Common law “courts.”
• Creation of mirror governments • thewisconsinfreestate.com
• Executive, Legislative, Judicial branches
Phony license plate & registration card
License Plates
SOVEREIGN ACTIVITIES 2
• Issuance/use of phony driver’s licenses or“international” licenses.
• Issuance of phony financial instruments.
• Use of phony deeds/”Land patents”
IDENTIFYING SOVEREIGN DOCUMENTS
• You will know it when you see it.
• Punctuation and capitalization
ALL CAPS = STRAWMAN Hypens, semi‐colons, etc.
• Uniform Commercial Code
• Obscure Latin phrases/words
DOCUMENT EXAMPLES
• Returning legal and other documents • “Refused for cause without dishonor” • “Accepted for value” • UCC cites
• Non statutory abatement
• “Administrative” legal proceeding docs
• Common law or grand jury documents
Reused Traffic Ticket
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11nited Slates o.fA:nwric:1 TO; Jay S. KMsten
Notfoe of Ht:ari11g
APPENDIX C
NOTICE OF HEARING
W~shi'ngton cour,t1 Ci}1Jt
counlry ofWis:crsin wm110n bw venue
STATf, OF WISCotl'S! N ) ,..,, COUNTY Of WAShlW,;TJ\/ J . 0 "'
J lW /ify trml ti-1t5 is a true and c◊rr~d copjl of a Cucurmmt in the posse.ss!cn hf trie
kt!{ of Cir.:~[t Ccurt for Washington Courlv; 1S CERT!flCdE JS NOT VAU!.1 UNLESS COURT _,:_,,.
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~--------------~~---\~~,t~":::cU;; -;ff!i Wilfred Bcnzin;
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SIMULATED ADMIN JUDGMENT
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Lona ~.J1r':!de$ (S!c],nANE COUNT'( CIRCU_tT COURT fS!CJ, MA.OISON cCmpoRA:rioN C!,JUNCIL [.SIC],Judiih a. Co!em~n [SIC], Stephen F. Hr;lmsnass (SIC), P.efrn ft Schmidf, [-SICJ, lJ.avld S. GOurnn (SIG], Moria G. Krugii_r [S!,C-} :VASSALEleS; . . .
:SUMfylONS:
-1. FOR1Hl$,(':0UNTEPuC:L6h'v1 [A~lS\iVCR1PF Tri!S sµMMP.N$'1S WITH TillS CLAIM OF T~-ns _CO-Kf'.Q.8bJJ91t: £&$_1;:~!,JM_BEfJ: :RR~i!1i-933~653: .u-=.s~ WITH THI$ 01-SrR~{;.9!.IBI- ,.
-2. FGR lHlS .. G-Q1Jj{!TR-r.l.A!N1 [AN0v'il'R] cfi-THIS GONTAAC'i is win J Tlr.S ()Rfli:R FOR T.HtQ ~ .QQUBIQFTHE UNil''-BTATES OFTHEWORI Q BYTHESEYMSALEES. ;
-3. FOR ll-lE lUUGE Of!\ V'/Hff\Nl-J,,COUNIE:R.9U...1M{ANS\c\lER) IS Wt'r'r.i:N ·n /l:..: t.!..$YHif.L~:tti8! I_N THE. TERRITORY OF THE WISCONSIN wi:,:H T~E 11HITY•STATES OF THE WORLD WITH THE LOCAi ION or THB··120: NOIUH,HENRY•STREET JN HIE. CIW OF THE MADISON IN THE TERRITORY OF THE WISCONSl!f [~5>i03] ~y THE VA$SAlEES,
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-8.. FO~ THIS OHDEJ { w: I) j t,. .JtjUG_ML_N ! IS WJ1lt)H1$·Cl{UM. OF. .Af AUi ·r.
-7;, FOR·AN.bRDER OF _THIS Pl-STRtCT-COURT~JUDGE 1-S_ ~T}i THE G!)\l.\18 [EV;DENCE} 1\NO" emrr+fANO., .!9.:4_Q~§...®.S. FUR AN ORDER 8Y THE-YA§§8.t..§§:..@EWBftlNG-CONfPi~>lQU_M1D NCGI !GRNGE f.QR T_HE D1JT1~~:, <,1r Tr a: .FAGT WTF 1:1:-H:S.Q.Q.~PORAT~ONMCASE~"CLAIM-
... e,. .i:o,R T~IS ~Uiv\1'.·10NS Of TH(S.P.J..'.'...S_IL~CT·COl:.JRl' JS \J\IITf1 TH"IS AUn---ldf<IZAllO-N ANL> ,1\UTFORn'Y FOR: THE CHANr.-r-·wrp ! Tl ir CQR_RG,f:l')():,.J 9f A.WR.~.
BY THIS OROER OF THIS COURT;
NORTt!._"1:ffiNRY-STREEr COllRTRO====~ TERRITORY.OF TH.EW!scq~~IN [-5
. ". :oie:A\.:.clERK cii' TH2 bl,STRIST,~;SJRr:
APPENDIX F
' ' '~~'-F0!111"
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN DOCUMENTS
• Various forms of demands/notices • Oath of office demand • Contractual authority demand • Copyright or trademark of name notice • Phony Tax forms (1099 form) • Invoices/payment demands
• Evaluate the nature of the contact • Demand for response or information or an admission? • Construe as public record demand?
• An attempted pleading? • Just a notice? (e.g. renouncing citizenship, etc)
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN DOCUMENTS
• Responding to documents. • Is it a document that must be accepted for filing?
• Is any response needed?
• Warning letter?
• Legal representation needed? • Director of state courts/legal counsel
DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS • Cause for concern:
• Consult legal counsel, Law Enforcement, DA, and reviewsafety/security plan.
• Physical threat • Copyright or trademark of name notice • Phony Tax forms (1099 form) • Arrest warrant, subpoena, judgment • Possible civil summons/complaint • UCC financing statement • A lien or threat of lien • Demand for money or claim of debt
RESPONDING TO LIENS
• Proactive steps regarding liens or lien threats:
• Register of deeds contact • An attorney general opinion concludes that registers of deeds arenot required to file or record common law liens or "writs ofattachment." 69 OAG 58 (1980).
• Wis. Stat. 706.15, Stats., • Prohibits the filing of any lien against the real or personalproperty of any state or local governmental official oremployee relating to an alleged breach of duty "except afternotice and a hearing before a court of record and a findingby the court that probable cause exists that there was abreach of duty.”
1ucc Web Filing
UCC Financing Statement
Name i, Phone of Contact Jlt Fil<'lt' STEVEN A MAGRITZ SECUR.lilll@!OLIDE.NET (262) 6~2-122
::-:endAckii0wkrlg-mettt To STEVENA MAG:UTZ SECUREDJ@IGL!DE.NET
OobtOf't: E~act Full Legal Name_
. 01·ac1:i!7,~fion'SNelt1e
lndividL1aJ's Last Name
KBNEAI.Y
M_ailing A9drci:is
76T COTJNTY HIGHWAY K SOUTH
Typb Of (jrgiininttlon
f!rstName DENiTIS
MUOl½Name
E.
$eCIJred· Pariy'.S fifami, (or name ofTofol Assignee or Ass.'lgnor S/P)
OR 11r;d1,~ldt1a!'S L~ftfa'mf} 11AAi1R!T7. _
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This flnanclnr stat.ementc.oyers tile-following colfateral'
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;:DJJi-l;li'Of.sai ;;70_39 ruu tben"cc So-ufh 131.94 focf; thence outh 01 fiP-gr1:es '"57" minMes 30 seconds Eillt 29-3.00 fo-et; thence;South 89 degfees minutes 30 Si:.conds West, 383,75 feet;·thence· Norfo 03: degrees 14 minu'tes 30 secom1_s We..~t, 663_.45 fec_t; _tli,frice North.89 dngf!:le!I 55 minutes 4Q Se!,Opds East, Pll4."57· f~i_to n r-oint.On the e:ast line oJ s_ai!J S(;QliM-'47;.the.uce-SoUt\J, P2 degree~ 51 Illin1rte::i Jo-·s~onds EastalQP._g·said Cflstlb.e, 354A& feet.to thCthice·of~inriing
APPENDIX A
UCC lien
RESPONDING TO LIENS 2
• UCC liens/financing statement
• Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions website: wdfi.org/ucc/search/
• search for UCC financing statement filings.
• Contact DA and/or Law Enforcement
DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS: POTENTIAL CRIMES
Criminal slander of title: Wis. Stat. 943.60 Applies to even an attempt to file. State v. Minnischeske, 118 Wis. 2d 357, 347 N.W.2d 610 (Ct. App. 1984.
Simulating legal process: Wis. Stat. 946.68 Includes “a subpoena, summons, complaint, warrant, injunction, writ, notice, pleading, order or other document that directs a person to perform or refrain from performing a specified act ….”
•
•
DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS: POTENTIAL CRIMES 2
• Falsely assuming to act as a public official/employee: Wis. Stat. 946.69 Assuming to act in an official capacity or to perform an officialfunction … or exercises any function of a public office….
• Extortion: Wis. Stat. 943.30 • Verbally or by any written or printed communication,maliciously threatens to accuse or accuses another of any crime or offense, or threatens or commits any injury to the person,property, business, profession, calling or trade, or the profitsand income of any business, profession, calling or trade ofanother, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniaryadvantage whatever, or with intent to compel the person sothreatened to do any act against the person's will or omit to doany lawful act….
CIVIL REMEDIES • Wis. Stat. 706.13: civil slander of title
• Pursuant to this statute, a person who files a false, sham or frivolous lien or other instrument relating to title in real or personal property is liable in tort to any person "interested in the property whose title is thereby impaired, for punitive damages of $1,000 plus any actual damages caused by the filing, entering or recording.“
• Wis. Stat. 706.15, Stats: limitation on lien filing. • Prohibits the filing of any lien against the real or personal property of any state or local
governmental official or employee relating to an alleged breach of duty "except after notice and a hearing before a court of record and a finding by the court that probable cause exists that there was a breach of duty.”
• Declaratory judgment
• Harassment Injunction
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS IN PERSON
• Knowing the beliefs and practices matters.
• Intimidation and confusion.
• Calm, professional, firm.
• See Appendix I—Tips and suggestions
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS IN PERSON AND AS PARTIES:
SAFETY AND SECURITY
• SAFETY AND SECURITY PLAN
• RISK ASSESSMENT
• PREPARATION • Security • Legal • Practical
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS AS PARTIES: SELF REPRESENTATION
• Competency for self representation • Choice of counsel‐‐non lawyers • Stand‐by counsel • Compliance with courtroom rules and procedure
• Latitude for pro se and unskilled litigants • Limits/Control • Arguments and testimony • Mistrial
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS AS PARTIES:
COMPETENCE
• The only reason adduced, in the district court or this one, for thinking Jamesincompetent to stand trial is the unusual nature of his beliefs. His behavior(both in the marijuana trade and in court) is that of a person able tounderstand his surroundings. Many litigants articulate beliefs that have nolegal support Sometimes these beliefs are sincerely held, sometimes they areadvanced only to annoy the other side, but in neither event do they implymental instability or concrete intellect … so deficient that trial is impossible….[I]f their weird legal views did not imply incompetence to be tried,why should James’s? It is not as if James inhabited a private mental world. Hisbeliefs are held by other adherents to the Moorish Science Temple.
• One person with a fantastic view may be suspected of delusions; two peoplewith the identical view are just oddballs.
United States v. James, 328 F. 3rd 953, 955‐56 (7th Cir. 2003).
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS AS PARTIES: DISQUALIFICATION/RECUSAL
• Requests for Judicial disqualification
• Creating a reason for disqualification
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS AS PARTIES:
UNUSUAL CLAIMS AND ARGUMENTS
• Admiralty law • Uniform Commercial Code/Contract law • Reliance upon “Common law” • Select and misapplied case law • Fringed flag = no constitutional rights • Use of name‐
• Use only first name‐‐no last name • “family” or clan name
• Refusal to identify self
DEALING WITH SOVEREIGN CITIZENS AS PARTIES:
UNUSUAL CLAIMS AND ARGUMENTS
• Unusual jurisdictional claims • Claiming that not a US citizen or a “person” or is “sovereign.” • Arguing that court has no jurisdiction as there is no “contract” with the person.
• Refusing to respond when case called • Refusing to approach or sit at defense table • Video or audio taping of proceedings • Asserting that not subject to traffic laws or have a constitutional rightto travel
• Refusal to sign court documents • Refusal to follow rules
Responses
• UNDERSTANDING MOTIVES AND BELIEFS
• PATIENCE
• FLEXIBILITY
• FIRMNESS
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU
