Odd People

[Ms. Toad]

30. It's more than a degree or two.

I'd characterize the sovereign citizens as law-based. It's just a very twisted application of the laws. The laws they cite are real - they just aren't applicable for what they are citing them for. That makes it particularly hard to respond to from a legal perspective (and particularly hard for them to work with legal counsel). You can't just prove a fact wrong and follow the consequences in court. For example - they will freely admit they don't have driver's licenses (or whatever purely factual allegations are made against them). Their argument is that they are not required to have driver's licenses for a variety of reasons based in actual law - each of which has to be disproven by identifying they law on which their argument is based and demonstrating that th law is not applicable as they are trying to use it

Maga-ites don't tend to cite law, and in most instances are oblivious to law - or just make up what they believe the law to be, just as they make up facts. It's more of a word salad both as to the law and facts. Since they don't dispute the basic authority of the court (at least not in as intricate ways as the sovereign citizens), it is much easier to resolve disputed facts (if any) and dispel reliance on law which exists nowhere. To extend the word salad analogy for maga-ites it's more: That's not a radish (it's a cucumber), you didn't follow the recipe.

For the sovereign citizens, it's more: Yes, that's a valid recipe, but it's not a recipe for a salad for a state dinner. It's a recipe for a side dish at a barbecue. If you are entertaining the president of China in the main dining room of the White House you can't just substitute a barbecue side dish. Yes, that is a member of the brassicaceae familiy, but it is broccoli not a radish. The recipe calls for a radish. You can't just substitute any member of the brassicacase family in a dish and have it taste the same, or even use the same preparation. If you are going to alter the recipe, you need to take into consideration taste, texture, preparation. . . and on and on.

If I were a ghost-writer for a judge (the circumstances in which I have encountered these folks), I'd much rather have a completely non-reality-based jerk who acknowledged the authority of the court than a sovereign citizen. I'd be about a thousand times happier.

My recollection of one is that it took about a 20-page opinion for a parking ticket that had been appealed. All of the convoluted law-based bases for appeal had to be dealt to ensure there weren't grounds for a supreme court appeal.