Sovereign Citizen Refuses Judge’s Hat Order and Ends Up in Jail

[00:00:00]It's to my understanding, sir, that many people do not need to remove their hat >> I'm asking about your situation. Explain it to me.

[00:00:07]>> Yes, I I believe mine is similar because spiritually, I believe I lose power when I expose my head fully.

[00:00:16]So, I'd prefer not to remove my hat because I feel like I need power in here.

[00:00:22]>> All right, at least Mr. Richmond's 21024M 2519285M 1312. Mr. Richmond, come on and join your attorney, please.

[00:00:41]Mr. Richmond, would you please remove your hat in the courtroom?

[00:00:44]>> Uh like I said earlier, Your Honor, I'd prefer for spiritual reasons not to.

[00:00:50]>> Not cultural reasons?

[00:00:54]>> Cultural or spiritual reasons, are they not? Or spiritual or cultural?

[00:01:00]>> Would you describe that to me further?

[00:01:02]>> [cough and clears throat] >> Uh it's to my It's to my understanding, sir, that many people do not need to remove their hat >> I'm asking about your situation. Explain it to me.

[00:01:13]>> Yes, I I believe mine is similar because spiritually, I believe I lose power when I expose my head fully.

[00:01:22]So, I'd prefer not to remove my hat because I feel like I need power in here.

[00:01:27]>> Okay. Um I'm going to order you one more time. I do not find that persuasive. In fact, I find it manipulative. I'm going to order you one more time to respect for the court as I order anybody else so as not to treat you differently. I do not find your your reasons to be persuasive. I'm going to order you to do it.

[00:01:44]And I just wanted to let you know that failure to comply, I will find you in direct contempt of court. Do you understand that?

[00:01:52]>> As long as you feel As long as you understand you're asking me to yield my power spiritually in a literal sense. This is what you're doing.

[00:02:04]This is what you've done last time. This is what you guys always do.

[00:02:07]And you know, I think that's really >> understand your answer. I'm ordering you to remove it again with you understanding the consequences. Do you understand the consequences of failure to remove your hat?

[00:02:19]>> Uh can you please explain them?

[00:02:21]>> Yes, I will hold you in direct contempt of court finding that after repeated warnings you failed to comply with the the court's order and that it undermines the dignity and the authority of this court and specifically I don't find your reason to be persuasive. Do you understand?

[00:02:38]>> Uh not fully. So do I get to wear my hat next time? That's what I'm trying to understand.

[00:02:42]>> I'm talking about this time. We'll worry about next time next time.

[00:02:46]Do you understand that if you fail to comply, I will hold you in direct contempt?

[00:02:53]>> So I'm going to be held for 24 hours while it's cold out?

[00:02:56]>> I have no idea what the consequences are going to be. You will be sentenced on direct contempt and I'll be allow you to make a any statements you want in mitigation. I'll hear from your attorney as well and then I'll decide. You may not go into custody at all or you may or there may be some other consequence.

[00:03:15]>> Okay.

[00:03:17]>> What is your response to my final order to remove your hat?

[00:03:21]>> Sir, I really insist on this and I feel really strongly spiritually about it and it's time for me to >> The court has uh found that the are now find that the defendant has been warned multiple times to remove his hat. He's been given sufficient notice and given a direct order in fact to remove his hat.

[00:03:41]He has explained and the court finds it to to be completely uh incredible having even changed his explanation after talking with his attorney. Explained his heart felt that's with air quotes, uh reason for not removing his hat. I find it to be incredible, manipulative, and uh and in direct contempt of the court.

[00:04:05]I find that it undermines the credit the rather the authority and undermines the dignity of the court. I find that it's he's does so intentionally.

[00:04:20]And because of that, he is in direct contempt.

[00:04:24]Regarding the sentence, I will sentence you in a moment, but let's take care of the preacher already in his conference peace peace first, and then we'll talk about the sentence. Anything else on the trials?

[00:04:34]>> No, Your Honor.

[00:04:36]>> All right, that leaves the contempt.

[00:04:38]Regarding contempt, Ms. Okolski, do you want to be heard or you want your client to be heard or what would you like to do?

[00:04:47]>> One moment, Your Honor.

[00:04:48]>> Yes.

[00:04:50]>> Your Honor, unfortunately, I I don't have anything to add to the record.

[00:04:53]>> Okay. Mr. Richmond, you're given the opportunity and you can just stay right there to tell me anything you want before I decide on the sentence for the direct contempt. If you want to say something, you may. If you don't, that's fine, too.

[00:05:15]>> I don't want to say much, but I mean all all there is to say that it's like a religion to me. It's personal.

[00:05:25]It's semi parallel to what a lot of religions and cultures believe.

[00:05:31]And if I embellish too much, then that would be I believe wrong.

[00:05:41]>> If you If you embellish mean add more to it?

[00:05:43]>> Yeah, like that is part of my belief.

[00:05:46]>> Okay, I got >> And that is part of you know, call it spiritual, religion, cultural. I don't care what you call it.

[00:05:51]>> Okay.

[00:05:52]Thank you.

[00:05:53]I'm not going to call it anything.

[00:05:54]Um I will note that you're are wearing a traditional black winter hat that shows no signs of any cultural or religious um affiliation nor have you identified any other than a personal uh belief that you would like to wear a hat to maintain power. I again I don't find that to be persuasive as I've already said.

[00:06:13]Court again finding the defendant to be in contempt uh direct contempt of court.

[00:06:19]I'll sentence you to one day in the Boulder County Jail.

[00:06:22]Um I was considering longer but I I just need to communicate to you that um you can't do this so I don't want to keep you in jail longer. Um plus it's a snowy day as you said. Perhaps it's not all that punitive uh based on what you said.

[00:06:34]Um so I'll sentence you to one day in the Boulder County Jail. Deputies, please.

[00:06:41]My bigger concern is that we're going to have a jury on Tuesday. I encourage you to reevaluate your uh position because I do not want you to wear a hat in front of the jury >> May I >> and be Hold on and and be in direct contempt again.

[00:06:55]Um I don't want that to be disruptive cuz that has Here it's just us but that has the potential to be significantly more disruptive to the proceedings. You don't have to say anything about it at all. I just want to put you on notice that the rules remain the rules. Um you can talk to Ms. Bukowski about it if you want. You can say something too but I I just might be better to think about it and then talk Ms. Bukowski.

[00:07:23]Yes.

[00:07:24]Yes, thank you.

[00:07:44]As far as I recall.

[00:07:47]Yes, Deputy Mr. Richmond. He's going into custody.

[00:07:52]>> Please wait for the police.

[00:07:56]>> He's been very cooperative with me other than the contempt piece.

[00:08:17]This is the record This is the record.