Table
of Contents
Preface...................................................................................................................
ix
Acknowledgements..............................................................................................
xi
Part I: Common Law and Uncommon Courts: An Overview of the Common Law
Court Movement
.......................................…………………………….........................................
1
Introduction.....................................…….................................................................
1
The
Posse
Comitatus...............................................................................................
3
Avoiding
Legal Authority........................................................................................
5
"Hidden
History" as
Justification............................................................................
6
The
Posse and the Common Law.............................................................................
9
The
First Wave of the Common Law
Movement.................................................... 15
Decline
and
Resurgence...........................................................................................
21
The
Future of Common Law
Courts?...........................................………….......... 32
Part II: Tactics in the
Courtroom.......................................................................
35
Subpart
2.1 - Challenging Subject Matter
Jurisdiction.......................................... 36
A.
The Gold-Fringed Flag
Issue..................................................…........................
36
B.
Typical Responses to the Flag
Objection.............................….......................... 37
C. Additional
Authority..........................................................…...........................
38
Subpart
2.2 - Challenging Personal
Jurisdiction..................................................... 40
A.
The "Sovereign" vs. the "Corporate"
Citizen....…............................................. 40
B.
Typical Responses to the Personal Jurisdiction
Issue.....…............................... 41
C. Additional
Authority......................................................................................
43
Subpart
2.3 - Demanding Use of "The Common
Law"....................................... 44
A.
Demanding a Strict Interpretation of "Common
Law"...….............................. 44
B. Typical Responses to the Common Law Demand.......…..................................
46
Subpart
2.4 - Significance of "The
Bar"..................................…............................ 47
A.
Refusing to Enter the
Bar....................................................…............................
47
B.
Typical Responses to the Bar
Argument............................…............................. 48
C. Additional
Authority....................................…………………...........................
49
Part III: Disrupting the
Operation of the Court..............…................................. 51
Subpart
3.1 -Refusing to Speak/Identify
Oneself...................................................... 52
A.
Refusal to Identify
Oneself...........................................................…….................
52
B. Typical Responses to Refusals to
Identify....................................................... 53
Subpart
3.2 -
Silence/Filibuster..................................................................................
55
A.
Party Chooses to Remain Silent or Party Chooses to
"Filibuster"...……............. 55
B.
Typical Responses to
Silence/Filibuster.............................……........................... 55
C.
Additional
Authority........................................................................................
56
Subpart 3.3 - Demanding "Counsel of
Choice"...................................………….................... 58
A. Party Requests to be Represented by a
Non-Lawyer..........…..………….......................... 58
B.
Responding to Requests to be Represented by a
Non-Lawyer..…….................... 58
Subpart
3.4 - Verbal Threats Against the
Court.......................…….......................... 60
A.
Party Makes Verbal Threats Against the
Court.................……............................ 60
B.
Responding to Threats Made by Members of the Movement..…….....................
60
Subpart
3.5-Hunger
Strikes......................................................................................
62
A.
Party Begins a Hunger Strike....................................................……....................
62
B.
Responding to a Hunger
Strike.......................................….......….......................
62
Subpart
3.6 - Attempts to Disqualify the Judge.........................................................
64
A.
Judicial
Disqualification.....................................................…..............................
64
B.
Typical Responses to Judicial Disqualification or
Recusal.....……...................... 65
Subpart
3.7 - Forms of Pleadings...............................................................................
67
A.
Party Files "Odd" Documents/Uses Antiquated Pleading
Forms.....……............. 67
B.
Responding to Unusual Documents............................................……...................
68
Subpart
3.8 - Refusal to Sign
Documents...........................….................................... 70
A.
Party Refuses to Sign
Documents..................................….........................……... 70
B.
Responding to a Party's Refusal to Sign
Documents..........…............……........... 70
PART IV: Tactics Outside of
the Courtroom......................…........….................. 73
Subpart
4.1 - Interactions with the
Clerk...............................…….…….................... 74
A.
Appearance at Office/Window/Counter of Court
Clerk......…….......................... 74
B.
Clerk Responses to Members of the
Movement.......………...….......................... 75
Subpart
4.2 - Actions Against Court Personnel.......................….......…………........
77
A.
Service of Process/Personal Suits Against Court
Personnel....…...….….............. 77
B.
Responses to Service of Process/Personal Suits
.................…….….................... 77
C.
Additional Authority.....................................................……..…..........................
79
Subpart
4.3 -Threats Against Court
Personnel...........…….........…........................... 81
A.
Threats Against Court
Personnel............................................…......………......... 81
B.
Clerk/Personnel
Responses...............................................………..........….......
81
Subpart
4.4 - Violent
Actions........................................…….................................
83
A.
Members of the Movement Become Violent...........……….............................
83
B.
Clerk
Responses..................................……...............…....................................
83
Part V: Trial Court
Performance Standards..................................................... 85
Relationship
Between Responses and the
TCPS..................................................... 89
Appendix A: Resource
Guide...............................................................................
95
1. Legislative Responses......................................................................................
97
2. Helpful
Websites.................................................….........................................
110
3.
Listserv................................................................….........................................
111
Appendix B: Movement
Sources..............................….......................................
113
1. Movement web
pages..............................................…......................................
115
Appendix C: Movement
Documents.................................................................. 119
1.
Tactics..................................................................………................................
121
2. Briefs/Filings................................................................……….......................
147
3. Movement
Manifestos.............................................................………............
169
4. Of
Note..............................................................................................………..
241