Don’t build defense
We have overcome "false information" charges many times, but I consider the
only true victories when we overcame without building a defense. When we did
succeed by building a defense, we were still incorrect because we allowed a
judge or a jury to decide what our name is. Our name is no man’s business.
"Giving false name" was an easy charge to overcome because the law
acknowledges a person’s right to acquire a new name at common law. But even
though we would win, it was a hollow victory. The judge would say, "I will make
the old name and the new name the same. We will acknowledge your name at common
law, but we will consider the two names one." What he was really saying is that
the state name is your true name and the new name is merely an alias.
One of the state’s tricks is linking your old name with the new name through
an "aka." Aka is an acronym for "also known as." Thus, they would say Samuel
Clemens, aka Mark Twain. It means Samuel Clemens is also known as Mark Twain.
They are the same person. We always object to an "aka" because we are not "also
known as" any other name. The old man is dead and a new creature has been born.
A month after being found "not guilty" on false name charges, one of our
Church members was again charged with "giving false information to a police
officer." When he protested that the same court had already found him "not
guilty," they said this was a new incident and he would again have to build a
defense.
[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ] |