Defendants have attempted to use Miller's language or ideas in courts of the United States and Canada. These attempts have been unsuccessful.
In 1998 Miller assisted Ingleside, Illinois resident George Johnson in his legal defense against child molestation charges.[21] Johnson was convicted and returned to prison in 1999.[22]
In June 1998 Prescott, Arizona resident James McCreary filed a federal lawsuit after being arrested in February for aggravated assault and possession of drug paraphernalia. In his filing, "McCreary mentions the name of his apparent mentor. David Wynn Miller of Ohio is an advocate of the restoration of Constitutional rights through 'correct' language and procedure."[6] McCreary's actions in court got his conviction reduced by the judge to three misdemeanors, and he was sentenced to three concurrent 60-day sentences in jail.[6]
In August 2001, Paul and Myrna Schuck unsuccessfully used Miller's language during a tax-evasion trial in Calgary, Alberta. They were later sentenced to jail after claiming postage affixed to their clothing and signed by them made them legally equivalent to royalty.[2][17]
In October 2001, Andrew William Sereda, a naturopath, went to jail in Calgary, Alberta, for contempt of court when he addressed a judge in Miller's language during his tax evasion trial.[2]
In September 2002, Miller was profiled when Milwaukee-based accountant Steven Allen Magritz was jailed after engaging what authorities called "paper terrorism," or filing large numbers of legal claims against perceived enemies, as part of the sovereign citizen anti-government movement. The article calls Miller "the movement's linguist" and outlines his belief that people don't need to pay taxes if they can "prove that money is a verb."[23] Magritz was convicted in 2003 on seven counts of criminal slander of title and sentenced to five years in prison.[24]
In December 2002, Wisconsin juries convicted Oconomowoc, Wisconsin residents Janice K. Logan and Jason Zellmer (Miller's cousin)[23] of "simulating legal process" by filing documents which purported to be legal documents from the jurisdiction of the "Unity States of the World," a concept originated by Miller.[25][26] Zellmer had been previously convicted of resisting an officer.[23] Miller testified at the trial. The defendants were found guilty. Miller remarked that the genesis of Truth-language was when he "turned Hawaii into a verb" and showed "how a preposition is needed to certify a noun."[13][27]
In 2002 and 2003, Ed Dick stood trial in Vernon, British Columbia for unlawfully failing to provide income tax returns for the taxation years 1997 and 1998. Dick succeeded in having the style of cause amended to include his name with a colon, namely, Edward: Dick. Among other tactics, he challenged the jurisdiction of the court. Dick was found guilty.[28]
In 2005, Montclair, New Jersey resident Brenda Rickard was arrested and charged with orchestrating a $30 million mortgage scam: "Rickard, who claimed her name is :Brenda :Rickard, is a follower of :Judge: David-Wynn: Miller, who gives seminars around the country and advocates speaking in the 'true language,' which features odd punctuation and syntax. 'I have no problem with the complaint against me as long as its in the truthful language,' Rickard told the judge." Her lawyer requested a psychological evaluation following Rickard's behavior in court.[29] Rickard and co-defendant Jamila Davis were convicted of conspiracy and six counts of bank fraud in 2008.[30]
In 2006, Hemet, California physician Jerome Mueller was jailed for tax evasion: "Part of a loose-knit group calling themselves 'freemen' and 'patriots,' Mueller is an adherent of 'truth language.' Developed by self-professed genius David Wynn Miller, of Milwaukee, truth language is based on mathematics and purports to be the only correct way of interpreting English. A major tenet, according to interviews with Miller published on the Internet, is that maritime law is the only worldwide governing authority because the Earth is a vessel in a sea of space. The U.S. government, however, contends in everyday English that Mueller owes income taxes back to 1993."[31]
On 7 July 2008, La Crosse, Wisconsin dentist Frederick G. Kriemelmeyer complained about his conviction for falsifying federal income tax returns. In the United States Court of Appeals, he asserted that he had not been permitted to use Miller as his counsel during the trial. The magistrate judge had refused to allow Miller to act as counsel because Miller was not licensed as an attorney. The Court of Appeals ruled that the magistrate judge's refusal was correct, and that Kriemelmeyer's argument that he was not subject to the tax laws was frivolous.[32]
In 2008, Wai'anae, Hawaii resident Rita Makekau was convicted of eight counts of assault and one count of domestic abuse for injuring five children in her care with hammers and knives.[33] In 2009, Makekau challenged her child abuse conviction by claiming her sovereignty group, Hawaiian Kingdom Government, declared her innocent. Miller said he is the group's spokesperson and is a "plenipotentiary judge, ambassador and postmaster."[34] Makekau was ordered to prison in 2009.
In 2010, David Kevin Lindsay asked Mr Justice Frits Verhoeven of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, who was acting as a court of appeal, to quash a conviction resulting from Lindsay's failure to file income tax returns for 1996 and thereafter. Lindsay, who presented himself as David-Kevin: Lindsay, argued that he was not a "person" as defined by Canada's Income Tax Act. He said he had ceased to be a person in 1996. The judge refused to let Lindsay opt out of personhood. The judge said the sentence of a $5000 fine would remain but jail time would be reduced to 30 days from the original 150.[35][36]
In October 2012, Kosciusko County, Indiana resident Paul A. Graber was sentenced on two counts of financial institution fraud to eight years in prison. He represented himself at the trial and read from a pre-written statement that repeatedly referenced Miller as "Judge Miller". Miller was called as a witness to the trial.[37]
The answer to everything, David Wynn Miller
Bookmarks