One Man's Fight For Justice

A Monroe man says he is on a quest for justice, not for himself, but for others who may find themselves in similar situations where justice has been denied. Michael Johnson said his ordeal began in December 2021 when he traveled north on Hwy 139. He said he was at a red light when he noticed that a police officer had pulled behind him. This was about 1:40 AM. Johnson said that the officers activated his lights when the light changed to green. Johnson then pulled over into a parking lot. According to Johnson, the officer was a Troop F Louisiana State Trooper, who immediately asked for his identification instead of initiating a conversation. Johnson carries what is called an American State Citizen form of identification on him, which he says gives him the right to go anywhere without fear of harassment from law enforcement officials, which is everyone’s constitutional right. It is a state-sanctioned form of identification issued to him just as a driver’s license. Next, Johnson said the Trooper told him to exit his vehicle, but Johnson refused and asked for a supervisor instead. A supervisor arrived and allegedly told Johnson that “he had to do” what the Trooper told him to do. Johnson then said the officers broke the window and forcefully took him from the vehicle. Johnson said that they threw(assaulted) him to the ground, where he sustained injuries to his body. He said that he must have passed out temporarily from his injuries because the next thing he knew, he found himself locked in an isolation cell at Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) and was held there for three days. He was able to make bond to go home and, at that time, was given his “paperwork”, which consisted of the citations written by the arresting officer. Of all of the citations, none were for speeding. Johnson said that he was stopped, or as he referred it to, “estoppel” because the officer said that Johnson was doing 79mph in a 45mph zone. According to the officer, the vehicle allegedly had Texas plates on it, but Johnson said that wasn’t so. He bought the vehicle in Texas, but the vehicle is not registered in Texas, and he traveled back to Georgia, where he makes his dominion. He moved to Louisiana, but he has not been detained in all the time he has had the vehicle with “National tags” on it. The citations were for “resisting arrest” and other criminal charges that had nothing to do with speeding. On the date of the citations’ hearing, Johnson said that he is not representing himself, but he is “sui juris” which he says means “living man and he retains all his social and civil rights”. The presiding judge prevented him from proceeding forward. Johnson was in jail when a female visited him, allegedly telling him she was his court-appointed attorney, which he never requested. At the hearing, Johnson was preparing to examine the arresting officer about the night he was stopped. The judge asked him what his plea was, and Johnson said ”not guilty” and that he was at the hearing to “discuss” the facts. The judge allegedly said he would enter a “not guilty” plea for him. Johnson then told the judge that he wants the record to show that the judge, by his actions, “was practicing law from behind the bench”, citing precedent, which he claimed “irritated” the judge. When finally given the opportunity to examine the officer, he allegedly admitted that he had no proof to show that Johnson was speeding, that he saw a national tag, even though the tickets were written against alleged Texas plates. Johnson’s goal was to get the officers to admit under oath that the arrest he conducted and the citations that he wrote “under sworn affidavit” were inaccurate. Johnson contended that if the speeding citations were dropped, then no matter what happened after, it should not count because he was allegedly stopped for speeding. Johnson said there are other issues he is seeking justice from, such as alleged conversations with an attorney from the DA’s office concerning the officer’s testimony. He also has an issue, he says, with Sheriff Jay Russell over getting back his personal vehicle which he says is allegedly being withheld after being repaired for work done on it. Johnson says he is fighting so “people can be aware” of their rights when stopped by police officers. A hearing is scheduled in May, and it is there that Johnson says that although he knows that he is facing an uphill fight, he hopes that justice will be done.