Sovereign Citizen Thinks He Has The Bench Trial Figured Out… Judge Proves Him Wrong Fast!

Añadido: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]This entire case was basically a slow-motion disaster from the very beginning because the defendant genuinely believed that saying "special appearance" somehow changed the rules of the courtroom. The judge immediately made it clear that none of that sovereign citizen language was going to matter. But instead of adjusting his strategy, he doubled down on arguments that have failed thousands of times before in courts all across the country.

[00:00:21]Can you hear [music] me? Yes, what's your name, sir?

[00:00:24]Yes, I'm going to make I'm going to make a special appearance.

[00:00:28]Well, what's your name, sir?

[00:00:30]Can you tell me your name?

[00:00:31]Uh Davie Don Lyons.

[00:00:37]Okay, we're on a 2508 CM2346, Davie Don Lyons, who is here today via Zoom, states again present.

[00:00:47]He advised at our initial hearing you want to proceed pro se, without an attorney. Is that still your intent today, sir?

[00:00:58]Say that again. [music] Is it still your intent to go forward without an attorney?

[00:01:04]Uh yes, sir.

[00:01:05]Okay, so we have two options today.

[00:01:08]Um you can either ask for some more time to either put together a defense or hire counsel, or talk to the state about any potential resolution, or we can simply set this matter for a bench trial.

[00:01:22]Which of those two options would you like today, sir?

[00:01:26]Uh I would need uh request a continuance to work on my defense. [music] Any objection to that, State? No objection, Your Honor. Looking at the age of the case, that's fine. So, I'm going to reset this for December 22nd at 8:30. So, Mr. Lyons, I just we'll see you back here on that date and time.

[00:01:43]Say that again.

[00:01:44]December 22nd at 8:30. December 22nd.

[00:01:49]All right, thank you.

[00:01:50]Yep. All right, so we're on 2508 CM2346, Davie Don Lyons, who's here today in person.

[00:01:58]State is also present. So, we're here.

[00:02:07]All right. So, the state has filed one additional charge.

[00:02:10]It's for count three, operating vehicle with an ACE of 0.15 or more.

[00:02:14]And the state alleges that on or about July 21st of this year in Montgomery County, State of Indiana, you did operate a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to at least 1500 g of alcohol per 100 ml of your blood.

[00:02:26]Plus, a misdemeanor carries with it a penalty from 0 to 365 days Montgomery County Jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

[00:02:33]Do you understand the allegations against you and the possible penalties?

[00:02:36]I'm here, but uh make a special appearance.

[00:02:41]And I had sent the motion.

[00:02:44]You had sent a motion this morning.

[00:02:49]Uh a motion to get this uh dismissed.

[00:02:55]Okay, since that was just filed today, I don't know if the state received a copy of that. I'm not going to set that for hearing today.

[00:03:02]But, what we'll do is set that We'll set this for another pretrial conference.

[00:03:13]Um and then we can address that motion at that point.

[00:03:18]I can do that.

[00:03:22]Set that say January 26th at 9:30.

[00:03:33]What What day is that?

[00:03:34]>> January 26th.

[00:03:37]What that day? What?

[00:03:39]I'm not sure.

[00:03:40]Okay. How about the 28th?

[00:03:42]Uh yeah, 28th.

[00:03:43]>> Okay, we'll say January 28th at 10:00 a.m.

[00:03:47]One thing that really stood out was how patient the judge actually was with him.

[00:03:51]He repeatedly explained that representing yourself means following the exact same rules as a licensed attorney. That warning is incredibly important because criminal trials are not casual conversations. They involve rules of evidence, objections, procedure, and strategy. But the defendant acted like confidence alone would carry him through the process. Can you get your face on camera there?

[00:04:15]That's what I'm trying to do.

[00:04:19]There we go. This is 2508 CM2346 State v. Don Lyons who's here today via Zoom.

[00:04:24]State's here in the courtroom.

[00:04:27]We're set for a pretrial conference.

[00:04:31]Lyons, the first question is you've been appearing pro se. Is that still your intent or do you intend on hiring counsel? Do you want me to consider appointing an attorney for you?

[00:04:41]Uh no.

[00:04:45]Okay. Uh um So I'm going to advise you um just in proceeding pro se, you are going to be held to the same standard as if you were an attorney.

[00:04:59]You're going to be expected to understand the rules of trial procedure, rules of evidence, rules of criminal procedure.

[00:05:05]Do you understand all that if you go forward without an attorney? Yes.

[00:05:11]Okay. So I think I had wrote a affidavit and uh I'm still waiting for a response.

[00:05:22]Okay. And I see that affidavit um and then I think we received that the date of our last hearing.

[00:05:27]It doesn't look to doesn't make any specific requests or requests for dismissal of charges and this does not comply with criminal rule 2.7.

[00:05:45]Um it's also not an appropriate motion to suppress.

[00:05:53]Uh, I have to object to that.

[00:05:56]Understood. Um, so what I'm going to do is I'm just going to set this matter for a bench trial.

[00:06:06]Uh, Set that April 1st at 1:30.

[00:06:25]So, that's going to be the court's order for today that we set for a bench trial April 1st at 1:30.

[00:06:31]And all parties are going to be ordered to be here in person on that date.

[00:06:38]April 1st, what time? 1:30 p.m., sir.

[00:06:44]All right, thank you. Okay, that's all for The The biggest problem with sovereign citizen thinking is that it completely misunderstands how courts function. These people believe they can opt out of laws by refusing consent, challenging jurisdiction, or using strange legal phrases they found online.

[00:07:00]But judges operate based on statutes and evidence, not internet theories. The moment the prosecution started presenting real witnesses and documentation, the defendant had absolutely nothing prepared to counter it. Uh, special appearance.

[00:07:16]Hold on, let me call the case. This is 25 weeks team 3346 State v. Don Lyons.

[00:07:22]So, he's here today in person. State's present and deputy prosecutor Tyler Trulock.

[00:07:25]Set today for a bench trial on counts two and three.

[00:07:30]Count one was previously dismissed.

[00:07:32]Um, Mr. Lyons, do you say you want to note something before we begin?

[00:07:37]Uh, yes, I'm just verifying my special appearance. Special appearance.

[00:07:43]Okay, and what do you mean by that?

[00:07:46]Uh I know I'm here to represent myself and challenge the jurisdiction.

[00:07:54]What's what's your request to challenge the jurisdiction?

[00:07:58]Uh The uh The OWI.

[00:08:07]Okay.

[00:08:08]That was They didn't have a warrant.

[00:08:13]But they did take the the my blood for it.

[00:08:17]But I don't call seeing that warrant. During cross-examination of the officer, you could see how unprepared he really was.

[00:08:26]Instead of trying to identify inconsistencies, challenge probable cause, or question the handling of evidence, he kept circling back to whether the warrant was shown to him properly at the hospital. The problem is he also admitted he barely remembered the night because he was intoxicated, which only strengthened the state's argument rather than weakening it. Any of the procedure or legal or evidentiary issues has come and gone. Today we're set for a trial on the facts of the matter. So, if you have issues with the evidence being introduced as it's being introduced, you can make appropriate objections.

[00:08:55]Um we're going to go forward today.

[00:08:57]State you may proceed. Yes, sir. Go ahead. Uh you're on the state calls uh Trooper Devin Mulch. Any questions, Mr. Lyons? Yes.

[00:09:05]And you uh What side of the uh of the car were you on when you >> [music] >> first said you had smelled when you you had first asked was y'all smoking any marijuana in the car? Passenger side. And then right after that, you had said you had smelled uh alcohol, right? Yes.

[00:09:26]>> on the passenger side. Smelled alcohol on the passenger side and on the uh driver's side.

[00:09:30]>> But she was on the passenger side first, right, when you said it?

[00:09:33]Correct? Yeah.

[00:09:35]All right.

[00:09:36]So, when you uh came to the driver's side, I got out the car and I told you uh I would I would refuse to take the the test.

[00:09:55]We went to the hospital.

[00:09:59]Now, I got sick.

[00:10:02]When did you present me the the the warrant? I read you the warrant right before we drew your blood. I got it I'm supposed to.

[00:10:10]Is it Is it on Is Is it on file? It's on camera.

[00:10:13]>> Is it on file, though?

[00:10:15]They have my body camera. I'm not I mean, they have it all. Who?

[00:10:19]On file?

[00:10:21]So, you have that question as well. We don't know if it's on file or not. They have it on my body camera, dash camera.

[00:10:27]You don't know. All that I said to him, so I was in cell.

[00:10:31]You said this was the warrant was signed around 6:21. What was wrong with 6:21?

[00:10:37]So, I would have read you the warrant that I did So, I did read it to you right before the blood draw happened. Do you have any proof of it on on the audio?

[00:10:44]On audio? It's on my body camera. It's I don't I don't I don't see it.

[00:10:49]I see it, but I really don't I really don't got it. And if there was a warrant, you know what [music] I'm saying?

[00:10:55]Uh you know, it goes bad like that. But, I don't I don't got it no more.

[00:11:00]Well, I would say it's not.

[00:11:04]Give me the question. Like I was on uh I do, but not really not not going.

[00:11:10]Anything I can say? No, you're You can sit down, sir. Thank you, sir. What made the trial even more painful to watch was his complete failure to challenge the medical and lab witnesses. Those witnesses were incredibly important because they connected the blood draw and test results directly to the DUI charges. A trained defense attorney would have carefully questioned procedures, timelines, calibration methods, or documentation. Instead, he asked almost nothing and essentially allowed every piece of evidence into the record uncontested. Mr. Mingus, is there anything else you'd like the court to know at this point?

[00:11:43]No.

[00:11:45]Thank you, ma'am.

[00:11:46]Mr. Lyons, do you have any questions for this witness? Uh yes. It was a while ago, but do you know do you do you know around the time that they took my blood?

[00:11:57]I don't remember the time.

[00:11:59]I guess that's all I have. Yeah.

[00:12:01]Anything else you'd like to say? No, you're You can step down, ma'am. Okay.

[00:12:04]Thank Ms. Norton, is there anything else you'd like the court to know at this point?

[00:12:09]Do not believe so. Thank you.

[00:12:13]Do you have any questions, Mr. Lyons? Uh no, sir. You can step down, ma'am.

[00:12:17]Another major mistake was waiting until the very end of the trial to complain about discovery and evidence issues. By that point, it was already far too late.

[00:12:27]Courts have deadlines and procedures for raising those and the judge had already warned him earlier in the case about understanding criminal procedure.

[00:12:35]>> [music] >> This is exactly why self-representation can become so dangerous when someone overestimates their understanding of the legal system. Mr. Lyons, do you have Do you have any evidence to present?

[00:12:45]Uh And yeah, they didn't give me the uh the the motion of discovery. I was planning on what I was going to say to me.

[00:12:53]>> [music] >> I didn't know I had a bad boy. That's my evidence.

[00:12:57]Uh I don't know. I have no evidence.

[00:13:01]No, sir.

[00:13:04]Um so the Today's trial, the state needed to prove Here's their burden. Need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt uh on count two that Mr. Lyons operated vehicle while intoxicated, and on count three, he did not operate with an ACE of 0.15 or above. Uh state has proven that he's operating vehicle and through the expert testimony has proven that both counts two and three beyond a reasonable doubt. We can proceed to sentencing.

[00:13:39]Mr. Lyons, is there anything you'd like me to consider on sentencing?

[00:13:43]Uh I mean, I got my bag I get back home today.

[00:13:46]And I really I I really don't remember uh who called them showing me that warrant in that hospital. I kind of remember that that that night for the most part.

[00:14:01]But I was I want to see the audio or see see the uh the documents of timing of the warrant.

[00:14:15]That's the thing, guys. But that But they were you know, >> [music] >> but then I just got to be nice.

[00:14:24]Any Any time sentencing state? Uh just just a few questions here. Um Mr. Lyons, are you currently employed? Yes, sir. Uh where do you work? Uh work at Penny Station right now. Earth Fare. Okay. Um is that a full-time job? Uh yes, sir.

[00:14:38]Yeah, it is. I was I was working two at first. Okay. And uh where do you live?

[00:14:43]Well Okay. I live in Cookeville, Tennessee.

[00:14:45]Yes, sir. Okay.

[00:14:47]Um Mr. Lyons, do you have any criminal history of any kind?

[00:14:52]Uh yeah, yeah.

[00:14:53]Blood [music] red.

[00:14:55]I got a criminal history.

[00:14:57]Yes, sir.

[00:14:58]Yeah, blood red. Blood red.

[00:15:02]Mainly driving get back. So, what if what have you been convicted of criminal?

[00:15:12]Uh possession of some marijuana possession of marijuana pretty much [music] So, possession of marijuana? Yeah, that's Okay.

[00:15:23]Is that the only thing you've been convicted of? No. Thank the Lord right now. Okay.

[00:15:31]No previous operating while intoxicated convictions anything like that? No, sir.

[00:15:33]It's my first time. My first time.

[00:15:36]The sentencing portion really showed the moment reality finally hit him.

[00:15:40]Throughout the hearings, he acted like he could talk his way around the charges with sovereign citizen arguments. But once the guilty verdict came down and the judge started discussing jail time, fines, and license suspension, suddenly the focus shifted to personal consequences like helping his grandmother get home. At that point, the courtroom [music] theories disappeared because the situation became very real.

[00:16:03]Is there any other evidence to state?

[00:16:05]No.

[00:16:06]>> [music] >> What's the state's request on sentence today?

[00:16:09]Your Honor, state doesn't have any reason to doubt uh what Mr. Lyons said about this being his first operating while intoxicated conviction.

[00:16:17]Um the state is concerned by the fact that Mr. Lyons was operating vehicle with an alcohol concentration above 0.15. However, it does not appear that Mr. Lyons has many if any ties [music] to this community.

[00:16:30]Um so, the state's first inclination as a sentencing would be to ask for just a short executed sentence for him to be done with this case. Uh if the court's not inclined to do that, the state would just request >> [music] >> a 365-day sentence suspended to probation as well as a reasonable fine and license suspension. Thank you, Your Honor.

[00:16:51]So, there are those other things to consider.

[00:16:54]I understand that if I put you on probation, it'd be a misdemeanor probation that is difficult to transfer across state lines, and that's going to be very difficult to have um done with you living in Louisville, Kentucky.

[00:17:06]So, what the court's going to do today, given your lack of criminal history, is I'm going to sentence you to uh 10 days in the Montgomery County Jail. That's five actual.

[00:17:14]So, you're going to be You've got to get credit for one actual day already when you were first arrested.

[00:17:21]So, you're going to have 4 days remaining to do. So, you're going to be uh taken into custody, placed in the custody of Montgomery County Jail today.

[00:17:26]You're going to be released 4 days from today.

[00:17:28]>> [music] >> And there's going to be court costs of $189.50, and I'm not going to impose any additional fine. There's a $200 alcohol countermeasure fee. There's also going to be a 90-day license suspension. It's going to go into effect tonight at midnight.

[00:17:40]Does the license suspension apply to the state of Indiana? Yes. Uh I'm not sure how that transfers to you. Kentucky uh That's going to be the order for today.

[00:17:47]You're going to be remanded into custody. Uh so, what about uh I don't know. My grandma though if she comes. She [music] can't really see like that. I I got to help her get get her. Uh-huh.

[00:18:00]Okay. Sir, you've known for quite some time you were scheduled for trial today.

[00:18:04]Yeah.

[00:18:05]And so Well, I was plans that you made plans that you made Right. are on you.

[00:18:08]So, that's going to be the order for today.

[00:18:11]I'll get out in 4 days.

[00:18:14]And you have We'll notify you you have 30 days to file a notice of appeal if you want to appeal this decision.

[00:18:25]In the end, this case perfectly demonstrates why sovereign citizen tactics almost always collapse in actual courtrooms. Judges are looking for facts, legal arguments, and credible evidence, not scripted phrases about special appearances or refusing jurisdiction. The prosecution came prepared with witnesses and documentation, while the defense came prepared with internet mythology. And predictably, reality won.