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Criminal Law-Drug Offense-Sovereign Citizen-Constitutionality of Indictment
Staff Report//June 4, 2026//
Defendant appealed his conviction for a drug offense pursuant to a plea agreement, arguing that the district court lacked jurisdiction because he was a sovereign citizen and because the indictment was unconstitutional.
Where courts had consistently held sovereign citizen arguments meritless, the court upheld the conviction after finding the indictment constitutional.
Judgment is affirmed.
U.S. v. Essing (MLW No. 84850/Case No. 25-3193 – 2 pages) (U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, per curiam) Appealed from U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa, Strand, J.
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