A Beckham County jury spent two days in court last week listening to the defense and prosecution of 39-year-old Roman Vladimirovich Serpik.
Serpik was on trial for failure to stop at a red light and obstructing a police officer.
The jury ultimately did not agree with Serpik’s assertion that he is a “sovereign citizen,” which he reportedly believes leaves law enforcement without the Constitutional authority to enforce upon him.
Serpik expressed this opinion in multiple civil lawsuits that he filed against several local law enforcement and elected officials.
The University of North Carolina School of Government describes the Sovereign Citizen Movement, “‘Sovereign citizen’ is a catchall phrase referring to a variety of anti government individuals and groups who share some common beliefs and behaviors. The organizations to which many sovereign citizens belong have a variety of names: Moorish Nation, The Aware Group, Washitaw Nation, the North Carolina American Republic, Republic of United States of America, etc. The same views may be embraced by Freeman, Freemen on the Land, Sons of Liberty, and Aryan Nation. Many sovereign citizens may not affiliate with any of those groups. In one way or another, though, all sovereign citizens, whether tied to an organization or not, adhere to a view that the existing American governmental structure, including the courts and law enforcement, is illegitimate and that they, the sovereign citizens, retain an individual common law identity exempting them from the authority of those fraudulent government institutions.
Sovereign citizens may issue their own driver’s licenses and vehicle tags, create and file their tag.”
In court filings, Serpik referred to himself as a citizen of the Oklahoma Republic.
His case began at 9:58 a.m. on January 19, 2023, when an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper reportedly saw a vehicle run a red light in Erick.
The trooper made a traffic stop.
“I asked Serpik if he had a driver’s license. Serpik stated he was not driving. I told Serpik that he was driving. Serpik replied, ‘Absolutely not.’ I advised Serpik to have a seat in the front seat of my patrol car. Serpik refused, so I conducted my traffic stop outside the patrol car,” the trooper wrote.
Serpik stated that he “does not consent to give his driver’s license and repeatedly stated that he did not commit a crime.”
The trooper decided that Serpik was not going to comply and was “showing signs of being a ‘sovereign citizen.’” Serpik began stating his back was severely hurting, and the handcuffs were too tight.
Once at the Beckham County Detention Center, Serpik refused to exit the patrol vehicle before getting his legs out and falling onto the ground.
After the jury heard evidence from both sides, they agreed with the prosecution.
The jury recommended the maximum sentence of a full year in county jail.
District Judge Jill Weedon will formally sentence Serpik next week.
