1. Sovereign Citizen Issues in Florida
Official Records Workgroup
WebEx
Version 1/15/13
Welcome to our discussion on “sovereign citizens. We will use a Powerpoint presentation to guide our discussion.
Feel free to ask questions as we go. At the end of the discussion on each slide we will pause to insure that any comments have been made, and that all questions have been asked and answered.

2. Agenda for Today’s Discussion
PowerPoint review of main issues, which also will serve to educate everyone about the current status.
Discuss current practices in Florida counties.
Discuss how to share information and documents.
Discuss where we go from here.
Here is what we plan to accomplish in today’s conversation on sovereign citizens.

3. Why Are We Having this Discussion?
Activity by “Sovereign citizens” is growing.
Many Florida counties have been receiving recordings.
We need to all be informed.
We may need to have standard practices.
We need to train our employees.
A good starting point is to ask: Why are we having this training?
We are seeing more and more activity in Florida and the around the country.
Multiple clerk’s offices and other government agencies have had contacts locally with individuals claiming sovereign rights.
It is essential that you be prepared to deal with citizens adhering to these beliefs.
“Be prepared” is not just a motto for the Boy Scouts: it puts us in a better position to handle a situation properly.
Unfortunately, some of the sovereign citizens may become violent, and we need to be prepared to handle the situation so that we remain safe.

4. What is a Sovereign Citizen?
This is a loosely organized group of citizens of all races and economic levels who assert their rights as a sovereign citizen.
FBI definition: individuals and groups adhering to a “sovereign” ideology, who further their political or social goal activities involving force or violence and a violation of federal criminal law.
Sovereign citizens believe in no government or minimal government. They believe that out governments at all levels are operating illegitimately.
They may practice civil disobedience by waging a paperwork war on government.
What is a sovereign citizen? There are many clues to who these people are and what they believe. The single characteristic possessed by all of them is a belief that they are sovereign, beholden to no one except themselves.
They always believe in a minimalist government.
They practice civil disobedience in a number of ways, as shown on this slide.

5. Sovereign Citizen Extremists
Commit murder and physical assault
Threaten Law enforcement Officers and Government Officials
Use Counterfeit currency
Conduct paper terrorism
Falsify official documents and financial instruments
Commit tax evasion
Promote debt and mortgage elimination schemes
Conduct squatting
The purpose of this slide is to help us point out some differences between a person who is a sovereign citizen and a sovereign citizen extremist.
It is not illegal to be a sovereign citizen. Extremists break the law.
This slide shows some of the activities of extremists.

6. What are they doing?
Practicing “paper” terrorism – filing legal documents in an effort to thwart the system
Using the system against itself
Denying their US citizenship
Refusing to obey traffic laws
Refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of our government, especially at the federal level
Here are some examples of the activities of various sovereign citizens. Not all of them practice all of these acts. This list of activities is not all inclusive, but it gives you a feel for what they may do in your jurisdiction.

7. What is “paper terrorism?”
The use of:
Fictitious or false liens
Fictitious deeds
Frivolous lawsuits
Flood agencies with letters of sovereign intent
Bogus letters of credit
Fraudulent IRS forms
Fictitious financial documents
Other ungrounded legal documents to harass and intimidate others, especially government officials.
For years, law enforcement agencies have been warning of the dangers of “paper terrorism,” a common tactic of members of the so-called “sovereign citizens” movement, comprised of people who believe that they do not have to pay taxes or obey most laws. Paper terrorists typically attack perceived foes, many of them judicial or law enforcement officials, with fraudulent liens on their property and bogus lawsuits, creating financial and legal problems that can take years of effort and thousands of dollars to sort out, clogging the courts in the meantime.
Paper terrorism refers to the use of false liens, frivolous lawsuits, bogus letters of credit, and other ungrounded legal documents to harass others, especially against government officials. It is the filing and sending of false documents to intimidate police, government officials and private citizens.
Many of these documents are difficult to read, e.g. use of terms is skewed or does not quite make normal sense. You can read it but it does not make sense, using pseudo-legal language.
NOTE: Switch to document examples here.

8. Additional Actions
Claiming to be diplomats who therefore have immunity to laws.
Refusing to pay property taxes.
Invalid or falsified passport applications.
Printing their own money.
Making their own auto license tags.
Do you know of other actions?

9. FBI Indicators of Potential Fraudulent Activities
Demanding to record conversations
Using false license plates
Using false identification papers
Only open windows a crack when stopped
Claim government officials and law enforcement lack jurisdiction
The FBI has issued a information sheet that contains information on how to recognize suspicious activity and what should be done. This is general guidance only, and should be followed only if you do not have more specific guidance from local law enforcement, e.g. local FBI agents, FDLE, your sheriff’s office, and local police departments.
For more information from the FBI, visit the website at:
Also, contact the:
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
5525 West Gray Street
Tampa, FL 33609

10. Who makes up this group? Individuals who are: Financially stressed
Angry at the government
Want something for nothing
Want to be left alone
Desiring to avoid taxes
Con artists
These are individuals from all walks of life who may look just like you and me. They are not all any given race, nor are they all militia types or kooks.
One interesting observation is that among them are con artists who may believe the rhetoric but also prey upon their fellow sovereign citizens!
The makeup of this group has changed over time. It used to be survivalists, anti-government extremists, anti-tax advocates, conspiracy theorists. While those groups and philosophies still exist, the current view is more to economically challenged, professional and educated, varied ethnicities and diversified religious groups.

11. Typical Beliefs
Our government is illegitimate, especially at the Federal level.
Absolute right to completely unfettered travel.
Infringing on their rights is an act of war.
Morally and legally justified in taking extreme acts.
Premised on English common law: no governmental authority.
Sometimes recognize the sheriff as a legitimate official.
Free men, sovereign unto themselves.
They are members of another system of government and do not have to obey US laws or codes.
Believe in the gold standard.
The government – federal, state and local – is illegitimate.
The only recognized law enforcement official is the local sheriff. Not all accept this – some recognize no authority.
They are members of another system of government, either common law, township, Kingdom of Heaven, etc. that does not have to answer to any US laws or codes.
They have an absolute right to completely unfettered travel.
Infringing on their rights as they construct them considered an act of war.
They are morally and legally justified in taking extreme act
The premise of their beliefs is English common law: there is no governmental authority, they are free men, sovereign unto themselves.
They believe in the gold standard, insisting on being paid what they are owed only in gold.

12. What else do they believe?
Posse comitatus – sheriffs are the only valid law enforcement officer.
They believe that 3 notaries can meet to change any law.
They believe that each of us when born has a secret account with the Federal Reserve, in a “strawman” name (all caps), and all you have to do is make a claim to get it.
Remember that because they are “sovereign” there is not a uniform belief system. Some adhere to many of these beliefs and others do not. They seem to pick and choose what to believe without obvious reason.
Posse comitatus – they recognize sheriffs as the only valid law enforcement officer because they are elected by the people. But they belief sheriffs can respond ONLY when there is a citizen complaint; a sheriff cannot be proactive.
They believe that 3 notaries can meet to change any law.
They believe that each of us when born has a secret account with the Federal Reserve, in a “strawman” name (all caps), and all you have to do is make a claim to get it.
Remember that because they are “sovereign” there is not a uniform belief system. Some adhere to many of these beliefs and others do not. They seem to pick and choose what to believe without obvious reason.

13. What do they believe about the US Constitution?
The REAL 13th amendment – nobility – is missing.
When President Lincoln implemented the 14th Amendment freeing the slaves, that act made each citizen a corporation
The 16th Amendment re taxes was not validly ratified.
Remember that their beliefs are changing and are mixed with many other ideologies.

14. What about Native American sovereignty?
Native American tribes are considered sovereign.
Sovereign citizens sometimes mimic Native Americans. For example, “Little Shell Pembina” is one active group in Florida, producing car plates, etc.
Difficult to discern, as the “Sac & Fox Tribe” is a legitimate Native American tribe.
Don’t confuse sovereign citizens with Native Americans. Native American tribes are sovereign nations under US law.
Sovereign citizens sometimes try to confuse officials by mimicking native tribes, and it can be hard to tell. When you are unsure, the Internet is a good place to do research on a particular tribal name or identity.

15. Are Sovereign Citizens dangerous?
Yes, potentially. When they break the law they are classified as a right-wing extremist group.
The FBI has classified them as a domestic terrorist group.
Like any group, some individuals are more committed to the cause and more confrontational than others.
There have been 6 law enforcement officers killed by sovereign citizens in the US.
Some sovereign citizens may be violent. Others are not. There is not a standard way to identify who may become violent.
We need to insure that our employees are trained to recognize and deal with these customers because of their potential to become violent.
Two sovereign citizens from the Clearwater area killed two law enforcement officers in Arkansas in May of Two more LEO’s killed in Louisiana in 2012.

16. How do I recognize a sovereign citizen in general?
Visual indicators on vehicles
Visual indicators around property
Indicators regarding identifications
Indicators in terminology
Indicators involving signatures
Visual indicators on vehicles
fraudulent license plates
unusual or altered license plates
specialty plates
missing or expired plates
misuse of legitimate terminology, e.g. diplomat, ambassador, consulate, DOT #, UCC reference.
Visual indicators around property
No trespassing notifications
flags (don’t tread on me, upside down Aamerican flag
notifications of sovereign or religious land
Indicators regarding identifications
refusal to provide identification
expired identification
present legal documents rather than identification, e.g affidavit of truth or sovereign intent declaration.
altered or fraudulent government ID, drivers license, passport.
Indicators in terminology
argumentative (questions authority, asks for source of authority, refuses to answer questions, claims gov officials are defacto or illegitimate)
claims immunity or protected status
references Uniform Commercial Codes
refers to strawman account or apostille number
refuses to provide name or refers to “family name” instead of last name
claims birthday is heresay.
Indicators involving signatures
refuses to sign official documents or citations
acronyms, symbols, or other unusual punctuation (colons, copyright symbol) or markings within a signature
“Without prejudice,” “agent” or “authorized signature” added beneath name

17. When might we encounter sovereign citizens?
Recording documents in official records.
Paying (or refusing to pay) traffic citations.
Filing cases in the court divisions.
Tax deed and foreclosure sales.
Passport offices.
Has anyone encountered sovereign citizen’s in other settings?

18. How do I recognize a sovereign citizen in our office?
Certain words and actions are usually good indicators.
Use of references to the UCC
Calling motor vehicles “conveyances.”
Asserting their rights as freemen.
Referring to themselves as common law citizens, aliens, sovereigns, etc.
Documents using the term “without prejudice,” “sui juris” or “under protest.”
Unusual ID cards or identification.
“Natural citizen.”
Special characters in their names.
“Family of” in their name.
Here is a laundry list of indicators that we have seen.
Do you have other examples?

19. What do I do if a customer appears to be a sovereign citizen?
Remain calm.
Be respectful and attempt to provide the same excellent customer service we provide all customers.
Do not argue and do not provoke them.
Do not complete or sign any forms they may insist that you sign, such a certification of your authority.
Call your supervisor for help if the situation escalates beyond your ability to handle.
Without letting them know, flag documents they provide.
This sounds scary, so we need to talk about how we handle a sovereign citizen.
Above all else, remain calm. It is unlikely that a violent person will appear in the courthouse, and we have the baififfs to help.
Official Records is the most likely group to encounter them among clerk employees.

20. Has there been local instances of activity?
Yes. Various documents have been recorded in the OR systems of many counties.
Judges have had insurance claims filed against them.
Judges have had federal lawsuits filed against them.
Legal advertisements have been run in the local newspapers.
Liens have been filed.
Deeds and notices of Acceptance of Deeds have been filed.
Here are six activities that we are aware of that are going on in Florida. It seems that Broward County has a particularly active group of sovereign citizens, and we can expect these tactics to spread and grow.
Has anyone had other types of activity in their jurisdiction?

21. When do we report contacts?
Discussion of local practices.
The most common practice is to report to your local law enforcement, primarily your sheriff. Some counties also report to the IRS, Homeland Security, County Attorney and Tax Collector.
Does anyone report to the FBI?
Does anyone report to other agencies?
What information do you report?
We want to identify what common reporting practices are going on among the counties represented on this call, so we have several questions.
Does anyone report to the FBI?
Does anyone report to other agencies?
What information do you report?
Broward:
Leon sends images of every suspicious document recorded to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

22. What is being done about this matter in Florida?
Law Enforcement training – FDLE, local sheriff’s
Florida Sheriff’s Association Task Force
Increased awareness and caution
Reporting activity
Potential bills in the Legislature to enact new laws
You may be wondering what is being done about these matters. Training similar to what we have gone over here is being given to law enforcement officers around the state.
We definitely want to increase the awareness of this group of people among our employees, so that they can handle themselves properly and not increase the risk of violent behavior.
We want every Clerk or other County office to report any activity that appears to be coming from sovereign citizens. If you are not reporting now, we encourage you to be proactive and approach your local law enforcement to see if they want you to report to them.
We understand that law enforcement is working on a Legislative package. Is the FSA representative on the call? Can you comment?

23. Potential for Legislation
Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA)
Prosecuting Attorney Association
Florida Association of Counties
Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers (FCCC)
Here is a list of the agencies we believe might consider submitting legislation to deal with these issues.
DO you know of anyone else considering legislation?
A new Alabama law makes it a misdemeanor to record a fraudulent lien or other instrument, with the crime becoming a felony if the documents are filed with the intent to “defraud, intimidate or harass” a public servant. The law also creates a process by the office that recorded the instrument to administratively nullify or expunge it from the record once it is determined to be fraudulent.
In Georgia, a new law makes filing false liens against public officials a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Developed at the request of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), and written and sponsored by Republican state Rep. B.J. Pak, the law in its current form protects public officials only. But GBI spokesman John Bankhead says that Pak – an accomplished attorney who was himself once the victim of a fraudulent lien – hopes next year to expand it to protect private citizens and to look into developing language that would allow recording clerks to reject such documents in the first place.
Louisiana’s law criminalizes filing false liens against law enforcement or court officers, but only “as retaliation against the officer for the performance of his official duties.” Violation carries a fine of at least $500 and/or imprisonment “with or without hard labor” for up to two years.

24. References To Learn More: Internet (do not go to their sites) youTube
FDLE – Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center
FBI
Department of Homeland Security
Important note: if you do research directly on a sovereign citizen website, they will likely track you, publicize this to other group members and may contact you.
Use only law enforcement or law enforcement partnering websites.
FDLE contact:
Andrea Bullough
Florida Depoartment of Law Enforcement
Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center
FBI
FDLE
Homeland Security www,dhs.gov
Anti-Defamation League ADL.org
Southern Poverty Law Center SPLCenter.org
The State and Local Anti-terrorism Training program SLATT.org

25. Questions
Do you have other questions about what has been covered in this session?
This PowerPoint will be made available on the FCCC intranet website.

26. Where do we go from here?
Use this PowerPoint show to train your staff?
Determine a “common practice?”
Develop a “best practice for approval by the FCCC?
FCCC presentation at the summer conference?
How should we share information?
Use the existing Official records Forum?
Create a new forum?
Other methods?
What else should we be doing?
Are there other suggestions, comments, concerns?
Thanks for participating.
I will now turn this session back over to Cyndi Andrews to complete the rest of today’s WebEx.