FAIRBANKS -- A 26-year-old leader of an Alaska militia defiantly told a judge Friday that he will not attend another court hearing until the court system explains its authority over him.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that Schaeffer Cox is facing misdemeanor weapons charges. He's the leader of the Alaska Peacemakers Militia, which believes all individuals are sovereign citizens, meaning the government has no authority over them.
"Based on the evidence, I deny the Alaska Court System is the real judiciary," said Cox, who is representing himself in the case. "It's a business."
Cox cited an Alaska business license for the court system, an income tax number and a listing for the court system on the Dun & Bradstreet business report website as just a few pieces of evidence for his claims that the court system is a corporation. About 30 of Cox's supporters attended the hearing.
Deputy Assistant District Attorney Scott Mattern told Cox the court system may engage in some business dealings but that does not take away from the state's sovereign immunity.
Cox was arrested in March after he responded to a call from his Liberty Bell network, which sends out notifications when someone believes their rights are being violated. That led him to a home where police were. When he arrived he did not tell officers he was carrying a gun.
State law requires someone with a concealed firearm to immediately notify a law enforcement officer when contact is made.
