Girard judge sentences woman for contempt

GIRARD — A California woman has been ordered to serve 10 days in jail after initially being charged with a crime that is punishable with a fine.

Girard Municipal Court records show Janet Southall-El, 33, of California, was traveling on Interstate 680 Wednesday when she was stopped by an Ohio State Highway Patrol officer for traveling 75 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. Southall-El, reports show, refused to cooperate with officers and was taken directly to court.

In court, Southall-El again refused to cooperate. She refused to give her name, which officials had to take from a California driver’s license. When Judge Michael Bernard called her by name, Southall-El told him the name was under copyright, and that the court could not speak it without paying her royalties.

Judge Bernard said Southall-El claimed that she would not enter a plea to the speeding charge because she does not recognize the authority of the court — because she follows the uniformed commercial code and a different set of laws.

“We went back and forth a couple of times trying to get her to comply, but she just persisted,” the judge said. Judge Bernard ultimately gave Southall-El a 10-day jail sentence for contempt of court. She must still face the speeding charge after completing the 10-day sentence.