Jordan, Montana...
Federal agents say they are determined not to have a replay of the deadly encounters in Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Both of those past incidents resulted in the deaths of anti-government militants and have brought nothing but criticism about the way federal authorities handled the situations.
On Monday, two leaders of the group, identified as 57-year-old LeRoy Schweitzer and 53-year-old Daniel Peterson, Jr., were arrested on charges of threatening public officials, conspiracy and bank, financial and mail fraud. Ten other people, believed to be on the farm, were also charged in the scheme.
While the situation at the farm in Jordan was said to be quiet -- a court arraingnment in Billings, Montana, for Schweitzer and Peterson was anything but quiet. Both defendants disrupted the court proceedings. As soon as Schweitzer and Peterson were brought into the courtroom, they began shouting and protesting their objections. They said that the court had no jurisdiction over them.
Peterson yelled, "I don't have to listen to the court." Schweitzer shouted, "I object to any arraignment. This court lacks jurisdiction. You're without power to go on." Both arguments are, of course, ludicrous. But because both defendants were so disruptive, the arraingnment was postponed to a later date.
The militant group "Freemen" say that they reject all authority of the federal and state governments. The group says that they are only bound by parts of the United States and Montana constitutions, common law, the bible, the Magna Carta and, believe it or not, the Uniform Commercial Code.
Law enforcement sources close to the Montana incident tell ENN that they are also hearing "rumblings" about other extremist organizations going to "alert status" and that militia members in several other states haven't been reporting to work, and have even taken their children out of school. Some reportedly fear that the FBI action is Montana is a precursor to wide-scale raids on conservative and milita groups in other locations. Increased militia activities have been noted in Arizona, Texas, Idaho, and Montana.
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