The Republic of Texas was its own country for a decade between 1836 and 1846 before being annexed by the United States. And some Texans aren't big fans of that annexation, maintaining that the Republic of Texas remains a sovereign nation.
This is all well and good. After all, residents of Key West consider themselves citizens of the Conch Republic; got their own flag and everything. The problem comes when you start serving court papers from your "sovereign nation" on a judge and lawyer, ordering them to appear before an "international common law court." That kind of behavior will get you arrested.
This Whole Trial out of Order!!
Susan Cammack is a single mom and seems to be a nice and pleasant person. She also considers herself a "Texian" -- a citizen of the Republic of Texas, a separate, sovereign entity from the United States. So when local authorities began foreclosure proceedings on her, Cammack had David Kroupa (a Houston-area chiropractor and the Republic's chief justice) issue a writ of mandamus and quo warranto to state District Judge Rex Emerson and a subpoena to attorney Bill Arnold. (Arnold was representing a title company and Emerson was presiding over the case.)
Needless to say, this did not go over well. Beyond being ineffective as a matter of law, Cammack's orders were actually illegal. Texas state law prohibits delivering "any document that simulates a summons, complaint, judgment or other court process with the intent to induce payment of a claim ... or cause another to submit to the putative authority of the document." Cammack was arrested in a February raid on a Republic meeting in a VFW hall.
Deep In the Law of Texas
The man who issued the orders did his fellow "Texian" no favors -- Kroupa pled guilty to a misdemeanor and testified against Cammack at trial. (A trial that we presume occurred in a legitimate court of law.) Ultimately, Cammack was convicted of three misdemeanor charges, for which she is set to receive a $500 fine and two years probation.
Cammack says she will appeal her conviction: "I believe my good name has been besmirched ... my inalienable rights have been trampled on by the system." If Cammack needs an attorney for her appeal, may we suggest the Texas Law Hawk?
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Related Resources:
- Woman guilty of serving papers on behalf of sovereign Texas (AP)
- 10 Laws You Should Know If You're in Texas (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
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- Alaska Man Asks If Court Will Deport Him to Heaven; Court Doesn't Oblige (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
