New Yorker Claims National Network of Pseudo-Legal Grand Juries
A retired carpenter from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., by way of the Bronx, longs to be the Johnny Appleseed of the so-called 鈥渃ommon-law grand juries鈥� movement 鈥� a crusade by extreme-right 鈥渟overeign citizens鈥� to create a judicial alternate universe.
His name is John Darash and his not-so-sweet dream of antigovernment grandeur is to plant common-law grand juries in all 3,141 counties in the United States. Darash claims that the bogus and powerless juries have the constitutional 鈥� and, of course, God-given 鈥� authority to conduct investigations, issue indictments and remove duly elected and appointed government officials from office. That would include pesky judges who insist that everyone must pay their taxes, obey traffic laws and respect property rights, three facts of American life that constantly get sovereign citizens in trouble with the law.
In July, Darash, the founder of the New York State-based National Liberty Alliance, the movement鈥檚 heart and soul, told the Anderson Independent Mail of South Carolina that he is well on his way to making his dream a reality. He claimed that the grand juries have been established in 2,296 counties in 36 states. By late September, according to the group鈥檚 website, the juries supposedly had spread to 48 states.
鈥淏ut in order to be successful,鈥� the group declares, 鈥渨e must first seek the blessings from the 鈥楪OVERNOR OF THE UNIVERSE鈥� and build our endeavor upon Him and His principles (1) HONOR, (2) JUSTICE, and (3) MERCY. This is the only sure foundation, any other will succumb to tyrants.鈥�
The common-law grand juries are a scheme right out of the playbook of sovereign citizens, who believe that most federal laws don鈥檛 apply to them. Indeed, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) calls Darash a 鈥渟overeign citizen guru,鈥� trying to establish 鈥渧igilante鈥� grand juries. Darash, however, claims not to be a sovereign citizen, a term, he told the South Carolina newspaper, that 鈥渋s alien to us.鈥�
But as a variation on the old saying goes, if it files frivolous lawsuits and liens like a sovereign citizen and throws around meaningless indictments like a sovereign citizen and makes outlandish monetary demands on the government like a sovereign, it鈥檚 a鈥�
In Florida in January, according to the ADL, a common-law grand jury, or CLGJ, sent a 鈥淲rit of Mandamus鈥� to the officials of one county demanding a budget of $1.5 million, office space and equipment. That document was followed up in February with a 鈥淣otice of Demand,鈥� warning county officials that the earlier demand was not optional.
The CLGJ crusade is just the latest variation on a long-running antigovernment theme. In the 1980s and 1990s, the sovereign citizen movement formed numerous 鈥渃ommon-law courts鈥� around the country. By the end of the decade, at least 27 states had passed or were considering legislation to crack down on the phony courts.
This spring, Darash gave a talk about his dream to a small group at a public library in New York City. The Queens County Libertarian Party sponsored the meeting. As Darash set up his audiovisual equipment for his presentation, one of the libertarians was talking to another about a lawsuit he鈥檇 just lost, contesting the state鈥檚 ban on midget bowling.
鈥淔irst of all, the midgets are adults,鈥� the libertarian complained. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not children, even if they鈥檙e small. They aren鈥檛 being forced to do anything against their will. And it鈥檚 not really a sport. It鈥檚 an art, its curatorial.鈥�
Darash commiserated with the loser and advised him to challenge the court鈥檚 jurisdiction next time.
That, he said, always works for him.
