Man Arrested for Fishing Will Not Be Subdued, Judge Finally Storms Out

A Montana man was arrested for fishing without a license and resisting arrest earlier this month. When he went to court for the charges, something astonishing happened.

Ernie Tertelgte says he’s being wrongly persecuted for trying to feed himself. In court, he argued that the court did not have the authority to charge him, citing “natural law.”

In court, he told Three Forks City Judge Wanda Drusch:

“I am a living man protected by natural law and I have the right to forage for food when I am hungry… You are trying to create a fictitious, fraudulent action.”

A heated exchange ensued, and the judge told Tertelgte to shut up. Then he yelled:

“Do not tell me to shut up! I am the living, natural man, and my voice will be heard!”

Then Tertelgte pointed at the flag and said:

“That is the Jolly Roger, that thing you call the American flag with the golf fringe around it is the Jolly Roger, and you are acting as one of its privateers!”

The judge and Tertelgte continued to argue – and their debate ended with the judge walking out of the courtroom:

Tertelgte had a hearing on Tuesday, and things went differently this time:

Tertelgte’s friend William Wolf said he and others showed up to court to enforce the Constitution:

“It’s we the people that run this and rule this country, not we the courts, not we the government, and if the people don’t start standing up for themselves and for each other, we are going to continue being subjects of this government.”

Bond was set at $500 and Tertelgte’s next court hearing is scheduled for January.