‘Freeman’ not exempt from laws after all, sentenced to one day in jail

Accused won’t acknowledge legal name

OKOTOKS — A Priddis man’s claims that he is free from following Canada’s laws fell flat in provincial court Wednesday.

Darren Murray Clifford, 40, was found guilty of resisting arrest following a tussle with a Turner Valley Mountie who Tasered him near Millarville last year during a traffic stop for outstanding arrest warrants.

As for evidence that Clifford slapped the arresting officer’s hand away from him, charges of assaulting a police officer were dropped.

Clifford, a 40-year-old unemployed construction worker who represented himself during the oneday trial in Okotoks, will serve one day in jail.

Seated in the prisoner’s dock wearing a hooded sweatshirt, cutoff shorts and leg shackles, Clifford began the day by refusing to acknowledge his name. Instead, he read from handwritten notes on foolscap held in a black folder.

The rhetoric is similar to that of so-called sovereign citizens who refuse to obey police, judges and other authority figures.

“Sir, are you Darren Murray Clifford?” asked Judge Patrick McIlhargey.

“I am Darren Murray Murphy, son of David Clifford and grandson of William Clifford. ... I am now being seen as a man with standing,” he told court.

“I refuse to accommodate the name of any capacity bound by your political organization. I never have nor ever will give consent to be associated with the legal person under the terms and conditions of a birth certificate,” he said.

When asked if he was ready for his trial, Clifford said: “I am under no securities agreement with Her Majesty the Queen, I am a land owner and Her Majesty the Queen is a tenant. This tribunal known as provincial court is trying to force me to act against my conscience. This is an unconscionable act,” he said.

In the end, Clifford was found guilty of resisting arrest. He was sentenced to one day in jail, and has been in custody since his arrest in October. He remains in custody facing other charges.

“He wasn’t on trial for being a Freeman,” said Crown prosecutor Luke Faught.

But the judge said he wasn’t satisfied Clifford intended to harm Const. Tom Christie, but rather that he was trying to avoid being taken into custody.

Clifford was accused of assaulting a police officer and obstruction of a police officer stemming from an arrest in 2012. He was also accused of failing to appear in court on an earlier matter.

Court heard that on June 17, 2012, now-retired Turner Valley RCMP Const. Tom Christie spotted Clifford behind the wheel of a Hummer near Millarville.

Christie knew there were warrants for Clifford’s arrest after he was charged with assault relating to a custody issue in 2011 and failed to show up for fingerprinting.

He was also wanted for driving without a licence.

Christie pulled him over. In a police dashboard camera video played in court, the Mountie is seen walking up to Clifford and talking. After trying to take Clifford by the arm and lead him to the back of the police truck to take him for booking in Turner Valley, a struggle ensued. Clifford is seen jumping back into the Hummer, where his girlfriend and her elderly parents were seated.

Christie is seen reaching in through the driver’s side window and grabbing an “argumentative” Clifford, who resisted arrest and struck Christie in the process, resulting in minor bruising.

Clifford, who didn’t cross examine Christie or take the stand to testify in his defence, tried arguing that the Mountie erred because when Clifford asked to see the warrant, he didn’t have it with him, and wouldn’t identify himself by name when “asked about 25 times,” said Clifford.

The judge ruled both points were non-issues — Mounties have no need to produce warrants, although it is preferable, he said. And the fact that Christie was wearing a uniform, gun holster and driving an RCMP truck outfitted with light was enough, the judge said.

Christie said Clifford told him his billing rate was a million dollars an hour and he wanted to see the arrest warrant and other documents, which Christie said were back at the office.

Christie’s conduct was commendable, the judge said.

“It seems to me the officer was extremely patient and in control,” McIlhargey said.

TheC rown recommended Clifford be ordered to undergo counselling for “life management skills” as part of probation.

“He seems to be starting to develop a bit of a pattern of disrespect to the court,” Faught said.

But the judge said he didn’t agree with imposing anything to retrain the accused’s political beliefs.

“I feel like I’m being profiled,” Clifford said. “There’s no evidence about my being associated with this Freeman thing.”