UPDATE::Sovereign Citizens Convicted of 'Paper Terrorism'

An update to this story,,,

Two members of the anti-government, “sovereign citizen” movement have been convicted by a Santa Barbara jury of trying to file a false lien against the home of a North County judge.

Tom Murphy and Jeff Lind were found guilty of multiple felonies, including one count of perjury, and face a maximum of three years and eight months in prison. Without prior records, they are eligible for probation. Murphy, a Missouri resident, has an outstanding warrant in Arizona for impersonating a judge and was ordered into custody out of worry he would not return to Santa Barbara for his sentencing on December 11.

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During this month’s trial, which lasted a week-and-a-half, Murphy and Lind’s attorneys argued that the men truly believed they had a valid claim over the judge’s property and so couldn’t be convicted of deceptively submitting a false lien. Prosecutor Brian Cota countered that the pair are bureaucratic bullies who use the filings to harass and intimidate those who they feel have wronged them. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning with their guilty verdicts.

Cota said a second case is pending against Murphy and Lind on similar allegations. According to Cota, the two tried to have their original case dismissed by claiming to the Santa Barbara Superior Court’s administrative office that a Native American court — a judicial body of tribal leaders that they fabricated — had taken jurisdiction of the matter and dismissed the accusations. Cota said that case is still in its early stages of prosecution.

This is not the first time the Native American slant has been played before. William McRea, whom I have posted about before used the same tactic.

But JoAnne Hawkins, the Powhatan Renape representative on the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs, is not impressed with the man who claims to be the tribe's new leader.

"He isn't legitimate," Hawkins said. "He has nothing to do with Powhatan Renape Nation."

Doreen Adele "Autumn Wind" Scott, the commission's chairwoman and a member of North Jersey's Ramapough Lenape Nation, said she had heard about the Crown Prince and would look into his claims.

But other Powhatan members and people posting on Native-American website forums have questioned why the council hasn't taken action against the Crown Prince.

"Our tribal leadership lacks a spiritual foundation, so we're unable to thrive as an organized Nation and it appears non-members are taking advantage of our time of weakness," Wendy Logan, a Powhatan formerly from South Jersey, said in an email from Arizona.

Sovereign Citizens Convicted of 'Paper Terrorism'