Erie, Pa. councilman jailed

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — An Erie County councilman who sent a note to a judge saying his latest two tickets for driving with a suspended license were “legal fiction” has received a real-life sentence of 60 days in jail.

The Erie Times-News reports 62-year-old Ebert Beeman was sentenced today by Erie District Judge Tom Robie., but remains free because he has 30 days to appeal.

Beeman has sparred with authorities over his strong libertarian views. He’s claimed he doesn’t carry a license because he doesn’t believe the state has a right to his Social Security number and, at other times, said his license is invalid because he gave PennDOT an incorrect Social Security number.

Beeman’s convictions Thursday are his seventh and eighth for the same offense.

Beeman was cited because county courthouse security cameras recorded him driving on June 1 and 9.