FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Investigative reporter David Tulis of 96.9 FM was dragged from a conference room table to a gurney and shoved into an ambulance, where he was charged with criminal trespass for insisting on his right to report on the doings of the secretive Tennessee judicial conference.
By David Tulis / NoogaRadio 96.9 FM
His midstate bureau chief, Christopher Sapp, was also arrested — but was not cuffed nor given reward of a criminal complaint to Williamson County, Tenn., sessions court. Mr. Sapp says he demanded Franklin city police officers cuff and arrest him, to give him proof of judicial abuse, but they refused.
The Saturday uproar capped a three-day policymaking and educational event for city court judges statewide. All judges in Tennessee are members of the conference, and are required to attend the events secret 24,782 days, since 1953, when the general assembly created the conference.
Event organizers refused to start a second of three sessions on “sovereign citizens” until the reporters were kicked out. Each had slipped in and taken a seat quietly, ready to run laptops and pens, when they were accosted.
“I’m not trespassing. I’m here as a member of the press,” said Tulis. “This is a public function, paid for by taxpayers. I have a right to be here. I’m not leaving.” Tulis refused to stand up when ordered to do so by an officer, grabbing his wrists with metal, Tulis saying he has the “strength to report the news — owww, that hurts — I have strength for all kinds of things, but I don’t have strength” to cooperate in an unlawful arrest.
The reporters preceded their assertive acts with administrative filings to chief justice Roger Page, who personally oversees the AOC — the administrative office of the courts. Tulis filed an 8-page analysis, and Sapp filed a 9-page demand under the open meetings act that he “not be met with resistance or official oppression under color of law” in joining the meeting, a filing with 33 footnotes.
They were backstopped by legal reformer John Gentry, who made arrangements with U.S. district court clerk, Lynda Motes Hill, to file a petition for an emergency Saturday hearing for a writ of habeas corpus. That emergency remedy brings a jailed person instantly before a judge to determine what cause is behind his jailing. Mr. Gentry is an independent candidate for governor promising to restore the rights of the people to address the government and remonstrate for grievances.
“Those expense reports out there” in the lobby, Mr. Gentry said, “clearly evidence that the taxpayer is paying for secret proceedings of our judiciary to go in there and mock the people with ‘sovereign citizen bingo.’ I am appalled — I am offended — as a citizen of this state.”
Tulis warned officers that he suffered from a hernia, and they scrupled not to drag him away sprawling by arm and leg, but called EMTs to rope him into a gurney and put him into an ambulance. Inside, he signed a citation, was freed from police custody on condition he quit hotel premises.
“We came to the municipal judicial conference to monitor what was going on,” Mr. Sapp says, “which is our constitutional right under article 1 section 19 of the Tennessee constitution — gives us freedom of the press. We have the right to attend this, but we were denied that right by the Tennessee judiciary. They would not continue with the conference as long as we were in there. As a matter of fact, they had the Embassy Suites hotel staff actually ‘trespass’ us in circumvention of the open meetings act, which is completely an abomination to state law.”
Says Mr. Sapp, “The judiciary is thumbing its nose at the state legislature and the will of the people to conduct their conclaves in secret — and that’s exactly what’s going on. Make no bones about it. This will be something that needs to be litigated.”
The reporters say the judicial conference is statutorily created, funded by taxpayers and litigation taxes, is compulsory for all judges, organized by the court system, is the court system in practice, touches the operation of law and justice, influences or controls public policy, meddles in creation of legislation and lobbying.
State law says “the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret” T.C.A. § 8-44-101. State law also says “The conference shall meet annually for the consideration of any and all matters pertaining to the discharge of the official duties and obligations of its several members, to the end that there shall be a more prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts of this state” [emphasis added] T.C.A. § 17-3-104.
Gofundme — liberty for Tennessee
Conspiracy, false arrest, false imprisonment (also including the ambulance agents, police agents and all other agents), rape (being held against one’s will), misfeasance, malfeasance, assault, battery, fraud.
Q: If the Governor orders a police chief to rob a bank, and the police chief does rob a bank —— is the police chief innocent of robbing the bank?
WHO is bound by “law” if the Governor is NOT bound by “law”?
Where does the municipal corporation of Franklin find such cowards to do this job?
Do they have to pay them extra to assault folks?
What!!!! More tyranny and treasonous actions.
I’ll stand with Tulis (who is attempting to stand for us) and at the same time be a sounding horn for Liberty, Truth and Freedom.
Good citizens = local, state and or patriotic Americans as a whole. Best get involved before it’s too late.
This is serious —— and another blatant action against our constitutional rights.
You should consider it a compliment. The barking dog jumps on you, out of fear. There is a reason that these folks operate in secret, and make war on the People of Tennessee. As those Sovereign People continue to advance in a comprehension that these Municipal City, so-called judges, sit in Fraud, and by Fraud.
All power is inherent to the People of this Republic.
Since this crew knows it better than the People do, they can only make insulting Bingo cards, and have thugs arrest you. It is the best they can do.
Even as they chain you, rest assured that it is an admission that they find you to be amongst the People of Tennessee, and they are aware that they have no Lawful Standing with regard to you, in your peaceful and harmless activities of life.
In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade …..
he carries a reminder of ever glove that laid him down, or cut him til he cried out in his anger, or his pain ….
I am leaving, I am leaving ….. but, the fighter still remains.
Perhaps the next time they meet, not just 2 journalists, but hundreds of them show up. Is that possible?
These people as sad as it is make up the laws as they come before them, assaulting you, kidnapping you, harassing you, threatening you —- is all against your constitutional right as a taxpayer as a citizen of the United States of America.
They fear people who stand before them; they fear people who know the law; they fear people who stand up against them to try and teach them the law. They fear all things and think just because they have a gun and a badge they can do as they please to us the people.
They’d run and hide if everyone came together and stood up against these unlawful people. You were bothering no one at all minding your own business. I’d go ahead and add that lady, the officers and whoever else to your lawsuit and I pray that you hit them where it hurts because this is what the problem is.
A lot of these billy bad butt cops who aren’t clearly doing their jobs at all right.
They do not have the right to touch you or your belongings at all. This makes me so mad as I know what you went through as I have myself and I stand my ground and will never back down for what’s right and we need more people like us David whom aren’t out causing problems braking the law just doing our jobs and these people aka cops and whoever else are just very scared of you.
I’m sorry you were mistreated and I pray that they see their day in court and are jailed for doing you wrong like they did. Keep your head up stay strong and fight for what is RIGHT and WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN!
Good job, Tulis! We must not comply with unreasonable and UNconstitutional acts!