Comments on: In depth article on the "I am a natural person" defense?

Question: In depth article on the "I am a natural person" defense?

yesno — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:15:56 -0800

"Natural person" / "This court has no jurisdiction over me" in depth article?

Maybe a year ago, I read an in depth article on the arguments that many people make when brought before a court, along the lines that the court has no jurisdiction over them (because of fringe on the flag, etc), or that the state government is invalid, etc etc.

I believe the article largely dealt with a spate of such arguments happening in inner city Baltimore among violent offenders--these kinds of arguments are usually associated with tax protesters.

It was a well written piece. like you'd find in the Atlantic or something. (That is, it's not a legal opinion attacking such arguments or a fringe site promoting them; it's more a piece of sociology.)

Can someone help me find this article?

By: proj

proj — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:19:17 -0800

Not what you're looking for perhaps, but the New York Times Magazine had a piece on tax deniers this past week that also mentioned these arguments. Maybe a helpful starting point?

By: Science!

Science! — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:20:14 -0800

Washington Monthly

By: sanka

sanka — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:20:53 -0800

From the Blue

By: yesno

yesno — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:29:10 -0800

I love Metafilter! Thanks, guys.

By: raf

raf — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:24:29 -0800

For what it's worth, the Anti-Defamation League has a great index of cases slapping down these arguments, called "Idiot Legal Arguments."