"White Sovereign Citizen"

In June of 1992, Libby Welch filed her "sovereign citizen" papers

Search for information on Libby Gustine Welch in the Whatcom County records and you'll find some interesting documents: Three Christian Patriot pseudo-legal papers by which Libby Welch attempted to "revoke... all powers of attorney... as it pertains to my former social security number...," declare her status as a "White natural born state Citizen" and take an "Oath of Allegiance" to Washington [state] which "supersedes and makes null and void all previous oaths that I may have made to any foreign state or foreign corporation." A "Federal Common Law Lien" filed by Libby Welch on a piece of property in the Custer area northeast of Bellingham. The Christian Patriot "sovereign citizen" filings are a method by which "Patriots" attempt to sever all ties (including tax liabilities) to the federal government. The phoney "common law lien" was filed only a few days before the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office served a writ of restitution on Libby's house in Custer. This was the final act in a series of foreclosure proceedings which began in San Juan County in 1991 and continued into Whatcom County through 1993. Libby Welch had a judgement entered against her in San Juan county by a loan company for the amount of $88,060.96 on August 19, 1991. On October, 11, 1991, a San Juan County Sheriff's sale of real estate partially satisfied $26,400 of that debt. In June of 1992, Libby Welch filed her "sovereign citizen" papers at the Whatcom Auditor's office. In terms of the Christian Patriot movement, the date is significant because Libby's claim of "sovereign citizenship" came between the Gulf War and the killings of a U.S. Deputy Marshall and Randy Weaver's wife and son at Ruby Ridge. The Gulf War re-ignited the Christian Patriot movement, which had smoldered since the violent outbursts surrounding the Posse Comitatus and the Order in the middle 1980's. With the tragedy at Ruby Ridge and the subsequent launch of the militia movement in 1992, the movement began to catch fire. Following the disastrous stand-off and mass-murder/suicides by the Branch Davidians, the movement burst into the flames which ultimately consumed the office building in Oklahoma City. Libby was then served by a "Notice of Levy Upon Real Property" for the house in Custer (Whatcom County) dated August 31, 1992. On September 30, David C. Stephenson had his signature notarized on the phoney "Federal Common Law Lien" in Pierce County, Washington. According to this document, the "Maximum Holding Company" was the "Demandant" and Libby Gustine Welch was the "Respondent" involving a promissory note for $150,000. This lien, if accepted as valid and timely, would have clouded the title to the house in Custer. On October 4, 1992, Libby recorded the lien in the Whatcom County Auditor's office at her own request. It is extremely unusual for a person to file a lien against themselves. Without a clear title, the service of the writ of restitution could have been delayed. As a delaying tactic, the phoney lien was unsuccessful, since on October 21, the attorney for the loan company was granted an order for a writ of restitution by Whatcom County Superior Judge Michael F. Moynihan. On the following day, Judge Moynihan signed the writ authorizing the Sheriff to seize the property and evict Libby and her belongings. On October 27, the Sheriff served the Writ of Restitution to Libby. On November, the house was vacated without any further action by the Sheriff's office.

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