Bruce Doucette

Bruce Doucette
Born1960 or 1961[1]
OccupationsComputer repair shop owner, pseudolegal activist
MovementSovereign citizens
ConvictionsParticipation in a racketeering enterprise
Retaliation against a judge (3 counts)
Attempt to influence a civil servant
Criminal penalty38 years
Date apprehended
2017

Bruce Doucette is an American sovereign citizen "guru"[2] and self-proclaimed judge who has been convicted of racketeering, conspiracy and other felonies,[3] and sentenced to 38 years imprisonment.[4]

Biography

Doucette, the owner of a computer repair shop in Littleton, Colorado, became a prominent sovereign citizen activist during the 2010s. Styling himself a "Superior Court Judge of the Continental uNited States of America" (unusual capitalization intended),[1] he formed a group called the "The People's Grand Jury in Colorado" and, among other actions, advised people in encampments in Costilla County on how to oppose land-use regulations. Doucette traveled the United States to help sovereign citizens fight local governments and set up their own irregular "common law courts".[5][1][6] The "oath" by Doucette and his followers read: "I am the warrior protector for those who know not how to speak of the crimes against them."[5]

In 2016, Doucette associated with Ammon Bundy and his group: at the beginning of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, he announced that he would convene a "citizens grand jury"[7][8] and threatened to hold "a trial with the redress of grievance" against county and other government officials.[9][10] His effort to "review evidence that public officials may have committed crimes" was unsuccessful.[11]

Doucette and his followers attempted to intimidate public officials so they would dismiss criminal cases against other sovereign citizens.[12] When these efforts failed, Doucette's group retaliated by engaging in paper terrorism against them[1] with false subpoenas and false liens,[5][13] a common sovereign citizen harassment tactic,[14] and threatening them with "arrest" by their self-appointed "Marshals".[12]

Doucette and several of his associates were arrested in March 2017, and charged with multiple felony counts.[3][5] Doucette acted as his own lawyer during their trial.[13] In May 2018, Colorado's 18th Judicial District ruled that Doucette's network of "common law courts" was a racketeering enterprise equivalent to organized crime and also found Doucette guilty of retaliation against several judges and attempting to influence a public servant. He was sentenced to 38 years in prison, including 20 years for participating in a racketeering enterprise, additional consecutive terms of 4, 5 and 4 years for retaliation against three different judges, 5 years for attempting to influence a public servant and concurrent sentences for several other similar charges.[12] Two of his co-defendants were sentenced to 36 and 22 years, respectively.[1][15] At his sentencing hearing, Doucette said: “I do not consent and never have."[3] The sentencing of Doucette and his associates was the most important crackdown on a sovereign citizen organization since the case of the Montana Freemen in 1996.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "End of the line for bogus 'Superior Court' judge". Southern Poverty Law Center. March 10, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Sovereign Citizen Movement in the United States". ADL (www.adl.org). New York, New York: Anti-Defamation League. December 21, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Sherry, Allison (May 24, 2018). "Colorado Prosecutors Hope To Send A Message With 'Sovereign Citizen' Convictions". CPR News (www.cpr.org). Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Sherry, Allison (May 22, 2018). "'Sovereign Citizen' Bruce Doucette Sentenced To 38 years". CPR News (www.cpr.org). Centennial, CO: Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "People's Grand Jury, which threatened dozens of elected officials, was spurred to action by disbelief about legitimacy of U.S. government". The Denver Post. August 23, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Members of Fake Courts Are Facing Real Jail Time". Southern Poverty Law Center. April 13, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Hammond, Betsy (January 12, 2016). "Self-appointed 'judge' arrives in Burns to ask local residents to charge government officials with crimes". The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  8. ^ McGee, Tom (November 8, 2015). "Operation Patriot Rally founder made promises, raised concerns". The Denver Post. New York: Digital First Media. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Njus, Elliot (February 22, 2016). "Armed occupiers promise plan to leave refuge, but signal longer stay". The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  10. ^ Walker, Chris. "Colorado Sovereigns Demand $350 Billion and File "USA v. United States" Claim". Westword.
  11. ^ "Federal Judge Blocks Sovereign-Styled 'Lawyers' From Oregon Occupation Case". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  12. ^ a b c "Sovereign citizen Bruce Doucette sentenced to 38 years in prison". Southern Poverty Law Center. May 23, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Self-Declared Judge in Sovereign Movement, Bruce Doucette, Found Guilty". Westword. March 12, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "Paper Terrorism: Anti-government vigilantes wield a subtle weapon".
  15. ^ Lobato, Sylvia (June 6, 2018). "Self-proclaimed 'judge' draws 38 years in prison". The Conejos County Citizen.
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