‘Sovereign Man’ Loses Driver’s License, Carries Assault Rifle around Town in Protest
Jim Sanders, 45 of Mulberry, Indiana says that he is a “sovereign man,” who is not subject to the laws of Indiana and or his local governments, That’s why — after amassing over $900 dollars in fines for traffic violations and refusing to pay – his driver’s license got suspended. With no license, he says that his “only legal mode of travel is walking,” apparently making an exception for the law that requires a driver’s license.
Since his only mode of transportation is by foot, he has taken to carrying an assault style rifle strapped to his chest wherever he goes, claiming that he needs it to protect the valuables he carries in his back pack: Copies of the U.S. Constitution, his Bible, and his water bottle.
Sanders says that he is only bound by the U.S. Constitution, not any statutes or codes, and claims that driving a car is not a privilege, it is a right he says and therefore not subject to any laws.
He goes on to explain that the U.S. became a corporation when Congress created the District of Columbia; claims that driver’s licenses and birth certificates are invalidated by the use of all-uppercase letters; and that the all-uppercase letters somehow indicate that the person named is deceased.
Last October he “ordained” himself as a minister when he and his wife started a church which has no set home and meets in various places including the West Lafayette public library.
“I’m not willing to pay for something I didn’t do anymore,” Sanders told WLFI TV, speaking of the unpaid fines which cost him his license. “I’ve put out enough, given them enough. I’m not going to do it anymore.”
“I recognize the republic of Indiana,” he responded when asked if he recognizes the state. “I recognize the republic for the United States of America.”
He says that he is just waiting for the judge and police to come to him and return his license once they come to their senses and realize that they are the ones who are wrong.
