Friday, March 13, 2009

Pa. DUI defendant claims that he's his own country

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_fe_st/odd_country_defense

EASTON, Pa. – A man accused of driving drunk said Pennsylvania courts have no jurisdiction over him because he's his own country. After seeing the paperwork that 44-year-old Scott Allan Witmer filed with the court claiming sovereignty, a Northampton County judge said Tuesday he cannot be released from jail until he gets a mental exam.

Witmer, who represented himself, said he believes police lack jurisdiction to pull him over. As he said in court: "I live inside myself, not in Pennsylvania." He said there is no victim in the crime and asked to go to trial.

Defense attorney James Connell, Witmer's standby counsel, said a challenge to the traffic stop would need to be filed as a pretrial motion.

Several witnesses said that Mr. Connell, the standby counsel, appeared to be looking for the back door.

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