You do not need to talk to her, period. Step down. Know your place. Why do you not have a license plate on the back of the Tesla? This is This is a brand new car I just purchased and I don't have a uh Where's the temporary tag? It's on the back. I got like I'm going to On the back? There's nothing there. So, I don't know maybe you lost it while you were driving. On August 25th, 2025, officers initiated a routine traffic stop on a brand new Tesla missing its rear license plate. The driver invoked the sovereign citizen playbook, refused to identify, claimed she was traveling rather than driving, and insisted she was not contracting with the state. The encounter ended in handcuffs and six charges. Here is why every legal argument she raised was wrong. Best insurance, we're going to need that too, and your license. I don't need to give you guys anything. What's your issue? Why are you being like that? I just stopped you because you don't have the license plate. You said that it should be there, right? And I told you that it's not. So, then where is it? Ma'am, I don't know. Okay. So, then that's why I'm asking you, okay? And then in order for me to move forward, I will need the information cuz obviously I can't get anything off of a tag that's not there. Got to release your name and name and name and date of birth and uh has to show you a form of ID. What is your name? I'm not contracting with you. But it's I want to make sure for the record. Of course. Okay, good. I'm not contracting with the state. My contract with the people of the state. I'll give you my name solely for the purpose. >> Okay. Okay, what? Tell me your name. I'm sorry, say that again? How do you spell Last name? I'm not giving you my last name. Sorry? I'm not in your jurisdiction. I'm not traveling. I'm sorry, I'm not driving. I'm traveling. Oh, so she's just giving her first name. Ma'am, we have to be able to identify you because you're lawfully being stopped. Lawfully being stopped under what grounds? You have no tag on your vehicle. >> Right. As I just mentioned to her. I'm sorry? Huh? Why are you guys surrounding my vehicle right now? No, I feel threatened. You have PC to tow the car without a tag on it right now. So, you have no tag on your vehicle. That's why you're being stopped. Right. Okay. So, being that you're on a lawful stop you're being lawfully stopped with probable cause of having no tag. What crime is that? You have no You're not understanding. You have no tag. >> crime. That's not a crime. That's not a crime. That is a crime. This is not a crime. This is. Can we quickly get your first name? Are you going to identify yourself? We have to have some type of way to identify you. Hey, what are you looking at? It's in the car. She's talking to you, so then talk to her. >> If I was going to talk to you, you should have done that earlier. >> and all of my stuff and I'm going I'm actually listening to the radio, so ID for us to identify you. It's in my trunk. Where in your choice Where in your trunk? Like in a bag in Yes, in a packet cuz I just I enrolled her to the school, so I have a packet that's full of all of my personal documents, my social, my passport, etc. So, it's in a bag in a trunk. >> Correct. What color is the bag? It's not in the back, it's a pouch. Okay, so what color is the pouch? Purple. Okay, so it's a purple pouch in the trunk that has your ID in it. Okay. So, can you open the trunk so we can get your ID? >> I I can open the trunk and get my ID. No, we cannot allow you to get out and go in the trunk. Well, I'm not allowing you to go in in in the car. Can you give us your name? >> I just did. I just gave you First name, last name, I just gave it to her. We're going to need more information than what you were telling us. Either you allow for us to get the documents out of your trunk or you give us the information verbally. Those are your only two options at this time. You have to >> to work with you, but you guys are being extremely extremely extremely aggressive. >> Yeah. You have to identify yourself. Make sure you're ready to get her out of the car. All right. We're going to go ahead and Buffalo. You're going to what thing? Buffalo. All right. Is the car off? No, excuse me, what are you about to do? Is the car off, ma'am? >> to do? We're going to remove you and the passenger out of the vehicle due to you not wanting to cooperate with us and provide us the information that we are asking for you to give us. I'm not agreeing to you. Excuse me, what are you doing? What are you doing? I got her here. Go ahead and step out. Step out. I should not identify you. I had just gave you my freaking name. What the hell are you talking about? Yes, I did. Do not touch me. But Let's get out of the car. Go on, jump. Step out, it's going to be okay. What are you doing? I'm going to have you come to the back of the car over here. Do not touch my daughter. Your daughter is cooperating. You don't have to do anything. You're not cooperating. I'm going to get the VIN of this vehicle. I need all y'all's badges with your names, your your badge numbers, etc. Just go ahead and you >> the car. I'll lean against the car but let go of me. Stay right there. I have not committed a crime. You need to get me out of these damn handcuffs. >> We already tried talking to you. We're done talking. >> a supervisor, sir. Sir, since she is not cooperating as as an individual doing her duties and her job >> She's doing exactly what she should be doing, ma'am. We'd be happy to get a supervisor for you, okay? >> I need them now. Right now. He's calling. You've been uncooperative so far, ma'am, so you're going to remain in cuffs until we're comfortable that you're cooperative, okay? I'm 28 by VIN. Am I being arrested? >> Ma'am, we said you're being detained until we got to the car. >> I need these off of me right now. >> We're going to wait for our supervisor like you requested, right? I didn't request to be yanked out of my vehicle. Okay. Due to you not cooperating with us, that's what happens. So, now we're going to do what you want and you called for a supervisor, he's going to be on the way and you can talk to him further. Five, Yankee, Juliet, three. Like you said, you know what's happening, right? So, your mom is being detained right now because she's driving a vehicle without a license plate on it, right? So, we don't know what's going on, so she's being detained. You're not detained. We just need to get you out of the car because the car is likely going to be towed. So, do you mind closing that door for me on the car? Thank you. Not Not you, ma'am. Not you, ma'am. I need her to get the hair out of my eyes, please. The officer there can help you with that, okay? >> not going to touch me again. It's fine, please. And out of my mom. Okay. So, you're not You're not being detained, ma'am, right? Your Your mom is. Okay, so if somebody comes to pick you up, whatever it is, they're welcome to do that. Do you not have to stay here should you not want to. Okay, if you want to remain with your mom, you're welcome to do that. I'm just here to make sure that no cars hit you, that you're safe, and all that stuff. You're free to go um anywhere you wish. Hey, Serge. No problem, sir. She's being extremely uncooperative, so I'm just taking her to service yourself. Okay. All right, we got it going on. Driving without insurance. So, she's >> Okay. How can I help you? There's no crime, which is not. I need you to remove these handcuffs right now. Okay. >> He's aggressive. Cops surrounded my car, surrounded my vehicle without my consent. Opened my door unlawfully and yanked me out of my car. Okay. When I'm not driving. I'm not doing any commercial activity right now. That's my daughter, she's going to school. You said you You weren't driving? That's I'm traveling. And I know y'all don't like to play by the real rules, but I already know them. Okay. I'm not going to accept anything less than, and everyone here is going to be sued Okay. for their unlawful behavior right now. This is unreal. Okay. Not only that, but I'm pregnant and she touched me in ways that is is not acceptable. Okay. All right. Let me just stay here. I'll talk to the other officer to see what you guys got going on, all right? Ma'am, your daughter said that you guys were on your way to school. Is that correct? All right, so I know she needs to get over there, so do you have like school books or something like that, a bag in there? Okay. So, I'm going to I'm going to go in there and get that for you. What makes you guys think that you can touch my personal property? Like who are you? >> Where is it? >> Right now, ma'am. I have not done anything. the back seat. You guys have literally yanked me out of my vehicle. at 7:00 in the morning. I just need to hold arrest of this woman in front of me. You're You're still trying to make me speak with her. I'm sorry. So, we're going to just open the door and her daughter is going to grab the stuff. We don't We don't know what's in there, right? I I don't have no reason to believe that your daughter wants to hurt me or anything like that, right? I just don't know what's in there. So, You guys are going to arrest us from the car. I need to make sure that whatever she gets is not going to hurt us. That's all I'm trying to do, okay? This is so ridiculous. I can't believe Okay, come over here, okay? Your stuff Can we open this door over here? Is that okay? Okay. I just don't want you to sit over there with cars Sorry to interrupt, um speaking with my mom here. Sounds good. Come on. Uh that staying here, right? Um He's going to close this for you so it doesn't get all over the car. Is it okay if she gets your phone? Do you know where it is? Ma'am, we're >> So show it to your mom. Make sure that's that's your phone. Don't let her touch my phone. Put this phone back in the car for this. You can't give it to your mom. Do you Are you going to take it with you? >> No, she's giving it to me. Why can't You can't have this phone. She said she was taking it with her. Okay. Why can I not have my phone? Cuz you're detained right now, ma'am. For what crime? The officer explained that to you already, right? No, there's no crime taking place here. >> taking this with you or are you leaving it? We got in the car. Leaving with the Okay. Can I talk to my daughter? Can you get away from me, please? No, I cannot get away from you. You're detained at this time. You can talk to your daughter, but just we're not We can't let you walk away. I'm not asking to walk away. I'm asking you to come here and y'all step away from me, please. She's right here. She's right here, ma'am. You can talk to her. Call Chris, please. If we're going to do telephone communication between the two, we're not going to allow that. You do not need to talk to her. Period. Step down. Know your place. You work for us. Do not touch me. Let me Sir, can you please get this woman off of me? Ma'am. I'm going to have to put her in the car because she's not I'm going to put her in the car. >> Sir, please get her off of the cuz she's trying to do Sir, She's She's trying to ask her daughter to call She's asking She's talking to asking her daughter for the phone. Do you have anything on you? To the wall right now. Do you have anything on you? Ma'am, would you Would you like me to escort you over to school? Yeah, okay. Okay. So you've been arrested for You've been arrested for resisting? I'm not resisting anything. >> cuz you did not give your >> not resisting anything. That is not Sir, please. >> that you don't recognize the local laws and the state laws. You have a different belief system. >> refused anything. >> Hold on a second. The word was I told them that I would get it. But You're not allowed to get it and I told you I would get it for you. I told >> you If you aren't providing your name and identification, if you aren't If you were If you were resisting the officers, if they're trying to get They're trying to They're trying to identify who you are and you aren't providing your name and your information, but that name wasn't coming up. What do you mean that name wasn't coming >> And then you weren't giving them anything that they could use to identify you. You're also driving in a vehicle or you're traveling in a vehicle that doesn't have a license plate on it. So that's why they stopped you. I understand that. Okay. So based on There was one on there. I literally bought that from the dealership not even a month ago. So based on on you not cooperating in providing the officers the information they needed, that's a form of passive resistance. >> It is not. >> And they're arrest And they're placing you under arrest as a result of that. That's what you That's why you're in handcuffs because they're trying to Who is the injured party right now, then? Um there's I don't know if there's an injured party by your terms by your terms, but Just explaining to you what happened. I have not resisted anything. He He Okay. Ma'am, do you uh Do you want me to Your daughter needs to get to school. Okay, so do you want me to release her to school? Do you want me to escort her to school? How do you want me to get her over there? You can come over here. Officer, please please get this woman out of my face. I'm not moving. >> Ma'am, let's just focus on your daughter. Okay, please call Chris. Is he not answering? Ma'am. Okay, how you get your daughter to school? Cuz this is why I separated you because you're trying to do stuff through your daughter, which you're not allowing. How you going to get your daughter to Who are you, my maker? Like who Who are you to not allow? Are you going to walk her over there or is she going to walk by herself? Just walk I don't really think she she I'm going to walk her Yeah, let's walk. We're going to walk you this over to school, okay? We're not going to walk you into the campus, but we're just going to so that way you're not embarrassed. We're going to walk you up and just see you in. Okay. All right. All right, ma'am. We're good. Hey Vinnie, just let her know where her mom will be at, okay? So she could tell the adult. All right, go ahead and do whatever you're going to do. If you want to just take her, we're going to tow the car, we're going to write her a ticket. We're good. The case turns on three constitutional questions. Was the stop lawful? Was the demand for identification lawful? Was the force used to extract her reasonable? Begin with the stop. The Fourth Amendment requires reasonable suspicion of a violation. A missing license plate is observable from the patrol car. Probable cause was established the moment the Tesla was seen. Once stopped, Pennsylvania versus Mimms, decided in 1977, gives officers broad authority to control the scene, including ordering occupants out and requiring lowered windows for safety. On identification, Hiibel versus Sixth Judicial District, decided in 2004, holds that a state may compel a lawfully detained person to disclose their name. The Fifth Amendment does not shield identifying information because a name is not testimonial in the incriminating sense. The driver's claim of traveling rather than driving was rejected by the Supreme Court more than a century ago in Hendrick versus Maryland. Operating a motor vehicle on a public road is a regulated activity, period. The right to travel protects walking, riding a bus, or crossing state lines. It does not exempt the driver of a multi-ton from licensing and registration laws. Now, the resisting analysis. Florida Statute 843.02 criminalizes obstructing an officer in the lawful execution of duty without violence. The driver refused to state her name, refused to let officers retrieve her ID, and refused to retrieve it herself. Florida courts have consistently held this kind of impossible compliance falls squarely within the statute. On the use of force, Graham versus Connor sets the standard. Objective reasonableness from the officer's perspective at the time. The factors are often severity, immediate threat, and active resistance. Here, the resistance was sustained. The force was minimal, a controlled escort hold and handcuffs. Under any honest reading of Graham, this was reasonable. The driver's belief that no crime meant no arrest also fails. Atwater versus City of Lago Vista confirms custodial arrest is constitutional even for minor offenses. And the male associate's claim that a statute is not a law, a statute is, by definition, a law enacted by a legislature. There is no recognized distinction in American courts. Have you and your mom been through this type of stuff before? No? Okay. Um So just real quick, let me just explain to you this way you can explain to anybody else you need to. Did I hear you say that the cameras weren't on? No, their cameras should have been on. I'm going to go watch their body camera footage and make sure that they handled you in a manner that was appropriate. And if If ma'am I have not resisted once. Your mom is required to provide us an ID, driver's license, name, date of birth, something like that. At that point Okay, so I didn't need to provide a license plate information. Yeah, that's not true. Unless If Do you have a Florida's driver's license or not? Okay, so when you sign for a Florida's driver's license, in part you agree And I already had it revoked it. Right. >> I told her, my other ID is in my car. Right. >> I'm sorry, in my trunk. She wanted to go into my trunk. I don't trust either one of them because of the way they treated me. The second they walked up to my car. Okay, so probably by the time you get out of school today should be out. Okay. Okay. Just because Just because you have no nothing else better to do? Okay. You don't understand what's hap You don't understand what liability that you are So we're going to go ahead and get going because the the sooner the longer we keep you here the longer This is something you'll probably be able to get processed and be out within a reasonable amount of time or within 6 to 8 hours. So the sooner we get you down and get you processed, the sooner you can get out. So I'm not going to hold you here any longer. I'm going to let the officers go ahead and and finish up here so we can get you down and get you a ticket for failure to provide identification. We pulled over for having no license plate on the vehicle. The They called you, sir, right? Um to pick up the vehicle. So he's now saying he wants to arrange transport for somewhere. So >> it? They're being They're being [ __ ] about it. So if you want to I can definitely drive it. They're being No, he can't drive it. No, no, so so we You can, but you're here now. So now you got It's It's your policy as to what you need to do. No, yeah, no. [clears throat] I mean just because I'm here doesn't mean If y'all are okay with Well, you can drive it cuz I have a tag on it. Oh, so there you go. Okay, then. What law? Point to me what law that's saying So so it's a grand commerce. We need a driver. >> Look, let me explain. I know exactly the law. >> So if you get in your vehicle and you pull away, we we'll see you. We're going to pull you over. That's fine. And then And then you're going to have a lawsuit that you're going to lose your job. You're going to lose your job and you're going to lose your Sure. I'm not worried about losing my job. You guys You guys have not provided a law. If you don't want to just drive it, I'll give it back to you. You guys have not provided a law cuz we we were we First and foremost, somebody took the tag off. So or it flew off. So it's not like it's a stolen vehicle. We still have probable cause to pull the vehicle over. The tag flew off. The tag, you know, got lost. We asked her. We said, "Ma'am, where's the tag?" She's like She I don't Well, she was talking to my other partner. And we asked her, "Where is the tag?" If you just give us the information, say where is the tag, it's put off all these seats. Like this all when it happened. She wouldn't give She wouldn't tell us about the tag. She wouldn't give us the VIN. She wouldn't give us the registration. She wouldn't give us the insurance. She wouldn't give us her name. She won't She We're still We're still We're still here. So at that point if I'm talking cuz there's no tag, but that is a Florida thing. A statute is not a law. So I want to see We're not going to argue over this. No, no, I'll tell you So this is So this is what we're going to do. I thought you drove another car here. >> No, no, no. Absolutely not. Okay, so this is what we're going to do. We You can't drive it in our presence. Absolutely. Since you're here, you're you're in control of it. No, no. We don't want to know that. We're going to leave. >> Okay. If you drive this car and you get stopped again, we're not going to be We're not going to mess with you, but if somebody else stops you, you'll have to deal with the repercussions, okay? But don't drive this in our presence. Absolutely. We're sorry you had to come out. If you need to do whatever We're going to No, we're we're just going to leave it. He's going to be in control of it. Okay? You want it towed? No, ma'am. Thank you. All right, sorry for I'm sorry. No, no, no. You're good. Yeah. All right, so you can take possession of the car. Don't drive it in our presence. If you do get stuck driving with it, just understand that you can get stopped and get written a ticket. >> Yes, sir. Get a plate on there or something. Okay? Okay, it's not like listen. All right, so all right, so let us leave. All right. Yeah, let before you do any of that. On the grades, the driver receives an F for manufacturing every charge through sustained refusal. The primary officer and extraction officer earn solid marks for procedural discipline and minimum force execution. The patrol sergeant earns an A- minus for textbook supervisory de-escalation. The male associate gets a C- minus for ideology that collapsed the moment a tow truck was mentioned. The department earns a B+ for active body cams and prompt supervisory response. The legal lesson here is brutal in its simplicity, but the practical lessons matter more. First, never argue constitutional law on the side of the road. The roadside is not a courtroom. The proper remedy for an unlawful stop is a motion to suppress filed by an attorney after the fact. Second, identify yourself when lawfully detained. Providing your name is not a waiver of rights. It is the price of admission to challenge the stop later in court. Third, comply now, litigate later. A subject who accepts the citation and fights it from a position of dignity wins more cases than one who screams about jurisdiction and ends up in handcuffs. Finally, remember that magic words have no power. Saying I am traveling, I am not contracting, or a statute is not a law will not stop a tow truck, will not void a charge, and will not impress a judge. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic that you would like us to discuss in the comments below. Thank you for watching.