Saturday, January 05, 2013

Homeowner Allegedly Affiliated With Sovereign Citizens & Facing Foreclosure Cited For Contempt, Carted Off To Holding Tank For Courtroom Shenanigans

In Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Stillwater NewsPress reports:
  • A courtroom full of attorneys scoffed, snickered and looked puzzled when a foreclosure case Thursday took a bizarre turn.

    Defendant Steven Bryan Miller constantly interrupted District Judge Phillip Corley and refused to let attorneys representing Bank of America speak. After many warnings and a series of outbursts, Miller was found in contempt of court and taken into custody.

    When addressed by the judge as “Mr. Miller” or “Steven Miller” the defendant said that wasn’t his proper name and his name is Steven Ryan of the family of Millers. Miller interrupted Bank of America’s attorney’s arguing that they were not witnesses and could not enter any evidence into the record. After repeatedly being told to let the other side speak and to stop interrupting the judge and the attorneys, Corley found Miller in contempt of court. Deputies took him into custody.

    Miller’s wife, Christina, was left before the judge who asked if she wished to proceed without her husband.

    “You’re not God,” she said to Corley, protesting her husband’s arrest and questioning Corley’s authority. She said she did not wish to continue. Corley said the hearing was the beginning of what would likely be a long case and strongly urged her to hire an attorney.

    Attorneys in the room waiting for their cases to come up on the docket appeared bemused by the strange outburst.

    The court had expect some sort of scene. Seven Payne County deputies, and Sheriff R.B. Hauf lined the courtroom.

    We received information that this particular person is affiliated with sovereign citizens,” Hauf said.

    According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the sovereign citizens movement is a group of people who believe various conspiracy theories but at their core do not recognize federal, state or local laws, policies or regulations.