On April 28, 2011 Mandie Rose made a special appearance at the Wilkes County Courthouse to challenge the jurisdiction of the de facto state of North Carolina (for those who may remember, Ms. Rose brought a similar challenge in March 2010 which led to her case being dismissed). Having previously submitted her memorandum of law, she addressed the court on Thursday afternoon challenging them to prove lawful jurisdiction over the soil, which thus far they have been unwilling or rather unable to do. The ADA argued that Ms. Rose had already submitted to their jurisdiction by obtaining a driver license, by paying off a prior infraction in a different county, by using traffic lights, driving on state maintained roads, and enjoying other "benefits" of the state. A common misconception is that we are challenging subject-matter jurisdiction, when in fact the challenge is to the lawful territorial jurisdiction which is claimed by the de facto state of North Carolina.

Ms. Rose responded by saying that the driver license in her possession has in fact expired and was originally obtained under force and coercion, without realizing the contract she was entering into. Further, she made it clear that she was not challenging jurisdiction (i.e. subject-matter) in this case in particular, but was challenging the jurisdiction they claim over the very soil of North-Carolina.

For approximately seven minutes, the judge studied her file, and the memorandum of law. After hearing the arguments presented, the judge breezed past the question of jurisdiction, and moved to the seat belt infraction itself, entertaining the testimony of the state trooper who was present, and the arguments presented by the ADA. When the judge asked if Ms. Rose wished to respond to the charges, she bravely stated that she would not participate further in the proceedings, as the matter of jurisdiction had not yet been settled, and pointed to the evidence which had already been submitted to the contrary. The video below is Mandie's first hand account of the events, and she also addresses many common questions received about the North-Carolina American Republic.

The judge ruled that the defendant, Ms. Rose, was in fact responsible for failure to wear a seatbelt, further consolidated the two infractions into one, and ordered her to pay a fine of $25.00 plus court cost. Ms. Rose subsequently appealed the ruling in open court, and the matter will now be heard by the Superior Court. Fortunately, this happened to be a court of record, and Ms. Rose had initially requested that the proceedings be recorded. She is working to obtain a transcript to file along with her appeal, and if you would like to assist monetarily, please contact Mandie Rose.

We will continue to follow this case, and provide you with additional information about the next court date as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have questions, or would like to learn more about the NCAR, leave a comment below, or contact a representative.