New Hampshire may dislike taxes and tolerate eccentrics, but the town of Plainfield is getting tired of Ed and Elaine Brown.
The couple has been defying a five year federal prison sentence for not paying their federal income taxes.
They insist they won't be taken alive from their home, a pledge that's become a headache for their hometown.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers has more.
So what does a tax siege sound like? In the case of the Browns, a lot depends on the day. Most of the time, their standoff sounds like this: (sounds of birds chirping)
But things aren't always so tranquil.
"I'd rather die on my feet right here with people like this, good American people, than live on my knees."
That's Randy Weaver, whose wife and child were killed by U.S. Marshals in a 1992 shootout at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
"This de facto government, that'll lie to you, steal from you, murder you, make you commit suicide - this is serious stuff."
For weeks, Weaver and dozens of other anti-government activists have rallied to the Browns, coming and going, invoking Ruby Ridge and Waco, and occasionally camping out for days at a time. Throughout, the couple at the center of the standoff have played to the media, with the prim Elaine Brown promising not to go peacefully -
"We either walk out of here free, or we die. That's it"
- and her husband, Ed, insisting the rightness of their cause, a message he sometimes punctuates by donning a tricorn hat and tucking a pistol into his waistband.
"There is no law. How many times or how many ways to we have to tell that to you? Do your research."
Such behavior has put a town best known as the former summer home of painter Maxfield Parrish on edge.
"It causes, you know, a lot of concern with the citizens, but we're not making a huge armed camp out of Plainfield."
Gordon Gillens is Plainfield's chief of police. He stresses that the last thing anyone wants is unnecessary violence. That point is seconded by the man responsible for bringing the Browns to justice, U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier.
"We have no wish to have a violent encounter with them, or in any way, shape or form have to hurt either one of them, so we're going to continue to talk to them and communicate with them in an attempt to get this resolved peacefully."
To hasten the Browns' surrender, marshals have cut the couple's phone and power lines, but the Browns' turreted concrete home is largely self-sufficient, with solar and wind power generators, stockpiles of food, water, and allegedly weapons.
And the feds are taking that last possibility seriously. When they seized Elaine Brown's Lebanon dentist's office last month, they did so with a full complement of armored vehicles, helicopters and SWAT teams. But the Browns remain, and the publicity may be responsible for drawing more visitors, such as those who came to a recent selectmen's meeting:
"We're just asking you to protect the Browns from anybody who is acting against them unlawfully."
"We're not going to go up there and protect the Browns from the federal government, and we're not going to give the Browns their money back."
"Ok, well then that brings into question the validity of many of the New Hampshire statutes then, I believe..."
Plainfield has asked the U.S. Marshal Service to bar supporters from visiting the Browns and take definitive action to bring the couple to justice. But despite that, and the Marshals' promise to arrest anyone who aids and abets the Browns, visitors have continued to come, bearing cell phones, food and even a PA system for a protest concert:
(excerpt of music)
"You may as well forget it / turn around, bud, here's the door / show me the law"
In the law in Plainfield, Chief Gillens says he sees no end in sight.
"He's not going to give himself up, or give in, so how long this goes on, I have no idea."
Spokesmen for the U.S. Marshal Service wouldn't comment on the current state of the Brown standoff, but the Brown property could be seeing more visitors this weekend. Supporters have scheduled a six-band benefit concert. The event is billed as being open to the public and all honest media.
For NHPR News, I'm Josh Rogers.
The residents of Plainfield should take control of the situation if they are tired of the stand-off. It's simple, find the tax law that states that everyone must pay taxes on his/her labor, and take it out to show the Browns. It appears at this point, the goverment has failed to show the Browns a law stating such.
I believe the Browns are risking everything to show the rest of us in this country, exactly what kind of beast we have created in the form of the federal goverment. There are many of us across this nation who have been noticing just what the Browns are speaking of.
So to the people of Plainfield I say this, exercise your role as a mediator rather than a spectator for the colloseums. Gladitorial games are a thing of the past and you may not like what you find should you choose to revive this babaric sport. The eyes of freedom are upon your city at this moment. Use it to your advantage!
I find it extremely disappointing that not only the Judicial branch of New Hampshire government, but the entire N.H. Bar Association, of perhaps 5000 members, have ignored the fact that the United States District Court, in Concord does not have delegated to it, CRIMINAL JURISDICTION over the Brown family. Accordingly, Title 28, which is Positive Law, would require Congress to enact legislation delegating such jurisdiction the entity. Without such act of congress how could Mr. McAuliffe preside over the defacto Criminal trial of the Browns?
The United States District Court has been delegated by Congress CIVIL JURISDICTION only! This inferior Tribual is referenced in Article I, Section 8, clause 9 as an Article IV Tribunal and is created by Congress for administration of the bankruptcy of the United States corporation.
The status of "Corporation" for what you think is "your government" is defined in
28 USC 3002(15), confirmed in 5 USCA 903 and Public Law 94-564, Legislative History page 5967, as well as supreme court decision "In re Merriam" (NY) 36 N.E. 505; 1441 S.Ct. 1973; 41 L.Ed. 281.
Mr. McAuliffe is an employee of the bankrupt municipal corporation, doing business as the "United States" and he has been appointed as a Magistrate for a period of 10 years and as an "employee", of the corporation, he should be paying Income Tax, Social Security and Medicare as all "employees' are required by "private law" to do so. (See 26 USC 6331(a) If you are NOT one of those enumerated and required to pay a tax, you are, by omission exempt.
Article III covers Article III Judges who do NOT have their compensation diminished as there is a prohibition in Article III, further, they are appointed for life and are immune to coecive attack by bureaucracies within the corporate government.
Only Article III Judges have been delegated CRIMINAL JURISDICTION. Show me otherwise!
The FRAUD perpertrated upon the Browns must cease and the media must do its homework and advise the people.
Mr. McAuliffe appears to have abandoned his office by presiding over a defacto criminal trial without jurisdiction in the tribunal over which he presides.
Check it out Josh. That foreign corporation called IRS (Registered in 31 USC 1321(62) as the 62 Trust Fund, Department of Treasury for Puerto Rico is NOT registered to do business in this sovereign State and the Secretary of State, William Gardner will attest to this FACT ! As a student for accountability for over 40 years, I will be happy to document anything I have asserted.
Your plan has a major flaw. Ed and Elaine Brown know they have to pay taxes. Like all detax nuts, they have been shown the law dozens of times. And like all detax nuts they figuratively (in Ed's case, maybe literally) closed their eyes and said "I can't it." If there were no law requiring the Browns to pay federal income taxes, they had at least three chances at trial to argue that point: pretrial motions, a Rule 29 motion at the close of the government's case, and proposed jury instructions. To the best of my knowledge, they never attempted to contest the existence of the law Ed claims doesn't exist.
Ed is crazy and wants the government to kill him. The US marshall is doing what he can to avoid that.