Top 10 Common Sovereign Citizen Methods

This is a list of the top 10 most common methods used by adherents of the sovereign citizen movement.

For those who may be unfamiliar, the term "sovereign citizen" refers to a loose grouping of American and Canadian litigants, tax protesters, commentators, and conmen. They believe that they are only answerable to their own skewed interpretation of common law, which they argue exempts them from local, state, and federal statutes and proceedings.

Sovereign citizens also believe that all forms of taxation are illegitimate. They argue this position in contrast to what they refer to as "federal citizens," whom they claim have unknowingly forfeited their rights by accepting some aspect of federal law. Additionally, they believe that the county sheriff is the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the country, supposedly wielding more authority than federal agents, elected officials, or local law enforcement.

Many of these beliefs originated with the Posse Comitatus, a white supremacist, Christian Identity, anti-government group.

The FBI classifies some of the more extreme members of the sovereign citizen movement as domestic terrorists, which is understandable given that some members have resorted to violent or destructive acts.
The Top Ten
Paper terrorism

Sovereign citizens like to file false liens against law enforcement and government officials, hoping to rip them off and earn some big bucks. Of course, these kinds of false liens tend to clog up the court system. In short, paper terrorism.

Violence and property destruction

Yes, there are sovereign citizens who resort to violent or even destructive acts.

In May 2010, sovereign citizen father-son duo Jerry and Joseph Kane murdered two police officers on Interstate I-40 near West Memphis, Arkansas. One of the officers was the son of then-West Memphis Police Chief Bob Paudert. The Kanes were shot dead in a shootout with the police afterward.

Oh, and remember the Oklahoma City bombing? Terry Nichols, the conspirator behind the act, is a sovereign citizen, having asserted his supposed sovereignty in court at least three times.

Tax evasion

Seeing as the sovereign citizens refuse to pay taxes, as they see such things as being "illegitimate," they just don't pay them at all. Of course, you can get in trouble for tax evasion.

Pseudo-legal language

Sovereign citizens have a tendency to use pseudo-legal language propagated by self-proclaimed "legal gurus," hoping to get away scot-free with whatever nonsense they pull. They would even use this in a courtroom setting, for crying out loud!

Driving without a license or insurance

Sovereign citizens believe that anybody can drive a car without a driver's license or proof of insurance. Of course, it's generally illegal to drive a car without a driver's license, and you can and will get arrested for driving without a license if you do that.

Self-victimization

Many sovereign citizens try to make themselves look like victims when they film their encounters with law enforcement. They do this to discredit the cops and further the sovereign cause. Because of this, they tend to come off as delusional, self-entitled morons, no matter how calmly they act.

Word salad

Sovereign citizens tend to play word salad with the legal system. For example, when they get pulled over, they argue to the cops that they are "traveling" not "driving," because according to the sovereign word salad, driving is when you supposedly operate a motor vehicle for commercial purposes.

Conspiracy theories

Sovereign citizens also believe in and even propagate bizarre and complex anti-government conspiracy theories.

For example, they believe that the U.S. government enslaves people through things like driver's licenses, birth certificates, and insurance cards. They think these items entail an implicit contract that binds a person to the government as a corporate slave. They also believe that each person has two separate personas: the "Freeman," which is supposedly the natural flesh-and-blood human aspect, and the "Strawman," a slave shell identity. They believe that by separating themselves from their Strawman, they could be free to do as they please without legal reprisal.

Scamming

Some adherents of the sovereign citizen movement are financial scheme promoters. In other words, con artists. They promote white-collar scams, including mortgage fraud, debt elimination, and so-called "redemption" schemes.

Squatting in houses

There are sovcits who squat in houses that don't belong to them, especially houses that are worth hundreds of thousands or even a few million dollars.

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