Freeman from Scotch Creek

A judge said he will wait a week before issuing an arrest warrant for a Shuswap "freeman on the land" to ensure the man has been properly served with court documents.Judge Hermann Rohrmoser declined to issue a warrant for the arrest of Nicholas Mitra, a Scotch Creek man who is charged with obstruction of justice stemming from a traffic stop earlier this year.The details of that incident were not put before the court, but it's believed Mitra was stopped after he was seen driving without licence plates on his vehicle. His responses - or lack of them - in the ensuing moments eventually led to the man being charged with obstruction of justice.Prosecutor Sarah Firestone said Mitra was issued a promise to appear in court, but he was seen throwing it in the garbage as he was released from custody.The Crown decided to have Mitra served with new documents indicating when he was to appear in court as there was some question on the first notice about when or where he was to appear.Firestone said Mitra was served with a new summons requiring him to be in court in Kamloops on Thursday. He did not show up, prompting the Crown's request to have Mitra brought forcibly to court in custody.Rohrmoser said he would not issue the arrest warrant immediately, however, as an affidavit proving service of the summons had not been filed. He suggested there was little harm in waiting a week to ensure the man has been properly served with the documents.Firestone told the court Mitra claims to be a "natural person" who questions the authority of the state to summons him to court.Mitra's case will be back in court March 31, when Rohrmoser has said he is prepared to issue the warrant and have him brought into custody.Kamloops' other notable "natural person" is former mayoral candidate Brian Alexander, who similarly believes Canada's laws do not apply him.Alexander subscribes to beliefs touted by the Freemen Association of Canada, a group that says Canadian have been enslaved by government. They also purport to be governed by the "common law," not the Criminal Code or other Canadian legislation, which they describe as "admiralty law."Freemen say they do not consent to be governed by such law, and believe they do not have to pay taxes or engage in many other forms of government bureaucracy, including registering vehicles or obtaining driver's licences.Alexander writes his name as brian-arthur: alexander. It's not known if Mitra writes his name in similar fashion.