Embassy of Heaven

Media Articles

 

Amos Warren Lamb Amos Warren Lamb

Man looking over wall

Sent to 60 days drug treatment for
believing in the Kingdom of Heaven

Jailed March 4, 1999

Charges:

  • no operator's license
  • no insurance
  • no seat belt
  • failure to display tags properly

Arresting Officer:

Trooper Jason Young
Kentucky State Police
Post 1
8366 State Rt. 45 North
Hickory, Kentucky 42051

Back-up officer:

Trooper Russell Boyd

Audio Interview
T9921 Amos Lamb Tortured

T9921 Amos Lamb Tortured

47 minute interview


Update: 6/3/99

Amos Lamb was supposed to be tried by a secular court on June 6th. Trial has been postponed. Amos Lamb is unable to function because of the side effects of the drugs that were forced into his body. Murray Ledger & Times carries the story.

Update: 5/21/99

On May 19, 1999, Amos Warren Lamb was released from jail and allowed to return to his mission post. The Court sealed the record and is refusing to allow inspection of the file. When the hospital records were examined, there was no indication that any drugs were injected into Amos Lamb. At a later contact, the hospital modified their story and claimed that Amos Lamb received a different, less harmful, drug called Haloperidol.

According to Homer Fletcher, Victory Baptist preacher, they are covering up everything and lying about what they have done. The Pastor said Amos Lamb called him on March 11 and said he had been forceably injected with Prolixin - and he spelled out the name. Earlier Lamb had demanded to know what they were giving him. The nurse handed him a paper with the name Prolixin stamped on it. A little later Lamb asked the head nurse what this drug was for and what it would do. She brought him more information on fluphenazine, which is the generic name for Prolixin. The hospital now denies giving Lamb this powerful and dangerous drug. Fletcher wants to know why these nurses told Lamb they used Prolixin if they did not. There is no way Lamb could know the name of that drug. He does not have that knowledge.


Update: 5/15/99

On May 14, 1999, a Court of Divine Justice was held on the secular courthouse steps. The purpose of the service was to bring before Almighty God the wrongs done against Amos Lamb and to turn the accused over to God. People from a three-county area came to participate, including several pastors. According to Homer Fletcher pastor of Victory Baptist Church, a SWAT team was positioned on the courthouse roof and many extra deputies were visible. They blocked off the courthouse parking lot so that there was just one way in and one way out. Court activities were closed down during the Court of Divine Justice because the county was afraid of violence, but everything was conducted in a Christian manner. The Paducah Sun, Courier-Journal and the Murray Ledger & Times, covered the event.

On May 11, 1999, Amos Warren Lamb received his first drug treatment. They forcibly injected him with two shots of Prolixin (Fluphenzine). This is an anti-psychotic, anti-panic, and anti-depressant drug. It is prescribed for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Possible side effects include damage to the liver, eyes and nerves. Some of the damages are irreversible. This drug is a highly potent behavior modifier and is normally used on individuals as a last resort when other treatments fail. According to DeeAnne Conger, a Mental Health Nurse, Amos Lamb is being tortured rather than being given treatment. She has seen patients on Prolixin experience extreme muscle contortions. If this treatment continues, Amos Lamb's motor skills could be damaged to such an extent that he will not be able to drive a car again.

After the shots, Amos Lamb contacted the local congregation about the drugs being introduced into his body. The drug takes about 24 to 72 hours to take effect. A single injection lasts 4 to 6 weeks. We have not heard from Amos since his initial dosage.

The local people in Kentucky have been calling judges, lawyers, and legislators all over the country.

The same line comes back. "They cannot interfere with a judge's decisions."

Why does Amos need drugs in a State Hospital? Because Amos believes in the Kingdom of Heaven as his government. They claim Amos is in fantasy land and the drugs will bring him back to reality.

On May 14, 1999, a Christian Court of Divine Justice was held on the secular courthouse steps. On May 15th, Amos Lamb was released from Western State Hospital and returned to jail. According to Homer Fletcher, local minister, secular judge Leslie Furches has sealed all the records relating to Ambassador Amos Lamb.


Update: 5/6/99

Today the court sent Amos Lamb to WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL for 60 days of drug therapy. Lamb has been incarcerated since March 4th for driving without an operator's license. This is the third time Amos has been sent to the State mental institution since his arrest.

Lamb was initially sent to WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL for a mental evaluation to determine whether he was competent. On March 10, the Medical Director of WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL, Marco Baquero, M.D. completed his Competency Evaluation. Baquero, who is from South America, concluded that Amos Lamb was incompetent to stand trial and suffering from severe delusions which makes him "unable to understand the severity of the offense made and to have any sense that he broke the law."

Baquero said Lamb is very religiously preoccupied. "The patient denies hearing voices or seeing things that are not really there. However, he believes that he is a 'citizen of heaven.'" Baquero also stated that Lamb's facies (general appearance) is "very suggestive of someone who drinks alcohol excessively."

Leslie Furches, acting as judge, wanted to get another opinion. On April 23, 1999, Amos Lamb was returned to WESTERN STATE HOSPITAL for re-evaluation. Amos did not see the need to provide answers during the re-evaluation and was returned to jail.

Amos was brought into court for a hearing on May 6th. The court-appointed attorney resigned after Lamb said he did not want an attorney. Leslie Furches, judge, at first said Lamb could represent himself. Then she changed her mind saying Lamb could do himself more harm than good if he is not capable. Then she sent Amos back to the mental institution for 60 days.

After Lamb was sent away for drug therapy, his wife, Shari, visited a local doctor for help. The doctor would not intervene, but said, "Don't worry. They won't give Amos any drugs that will harm him."

Amos Lamb is being given drugs (poison) because some South American doctor thinks he does not understand the importance of obeying licensing laws.

The Embassy of Heaven sent a letter to the Judge and prosecutor on April 9, 1999. There has been no response. If it is a crime for Amos Lamb to be a citizen of Heaven and separate from the State, then they should arrest all of us, also . If we are crazy to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is a current and present reality, then they should force all of us through a drug treatment program right away.

The last contact with the Court Judge by the Embassy of Heaven was on May 8, 1999. Ambassador Michael Peter Stevens, a previous victim of State use of drugs on citizens of Heaven, initiated the conference call to Leslie Furches. Leslie refused to discuss the matter over the telephone and hung-up.

Call the appropriate people and tell them you hold similar beliefs as Amos Lamb. Ask them why they are selectively drugging Amos.


Contacts


DocumentsMan looking over wall

Kentucky.gifWESTERN STATE HOSPITAL
P.O. Box 2200
Hopkinsville, Kentucky 42241-2200
(270) 886-4431

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Cabinet for Health Services
Department for Mental Health and
Mental Retardation Services
An Equal Opportunity Employer - M/F/D

COMPETENCY EVALUATION

RE: Amos Warren Lamb                                DATE: 3/10/99
#99-T-00427

Mr. Lamb is a visibly disturbed person who refuses to give me his age because he says that "he abandoned his previous identity when he became a born again Christian." When asked what his birthday was, he said "he had blocked it out of his mind because that's only hearsay."

I had to ask the sheriff's deputy what the charges were because the papers from the court did not indicate the nature of the charges made against the client. The officer explained that the patient had been picked up on the road by state police while driving with an out of state license plate and without a driver's license. When the patient hears this, he responds that "he is a citizen from heaven and that he was carrying the license plates from the church." He questions this clinician whether the church has any jurisdiction in the State of Kentucky. When it is explained to him by the sheriff's deputy and this clinician that the laws of the state must be followed, he says that he only follows the laws of the church and the laws of heaven.

He is very religiously preoccupied. He denies hearing voices but he carries a Bible with him and he says that he reads the Word of God every day and follows the Word. The patient denies having any medical problems. However, his facies is very suggestive of someone who drinks alcohol excessively. The client also says that he doesn't have any psychiatric hospitalizations in the past; this is dubious since he is obviously very psychotic and it is very difficult to believe from being in his 40's (which he shows), he would not have had at least one episode of mental illness in the past. In terms of his family he says that his father died of pneumonia at the age of 68 several years ago. His mother died at age 78 of "old age." He has seven brothers and five sisters and he says that all of them are alive and well.

On mental status examination, this is a very disheveled patient who looks approximately 55. It is probably true that he is in his 40's but he is very deteriorated. He shows a tendency to become agitated when questioned about his beliefs. His affect is intense at times and inappropriate to situation. His mood is labile. His speech is pressured when he talks about his religious beliefs but he does not show loosening of associations. The patient denies voices or seeing things that are not really there. However, he believes that he is "a citizen of heaven." He is very paranoid and suspicious as well as guarded and he would not tell this clinician any data about his personal life. It is unknown to this clinician where the patient lives or what his real name is. Had it not been for the court papers, he would not have given out any name to this clinician, saying that he has a name from heaven and that his former name is something he "blacked out." The patient did not express any suicidal or homicidal ideation. He was uncooperative with formal testing of his cognitive functions. However, he seems to be oriented and fully alert and aware. His judgment is obviously very poor and it is affected by his delusions. His insight into his problems is poor.

In terms of the legal criteria of competency to stand trial, the patient did not fulfill either the factual criteria or the inferential criteria. Mainly the patient is unable to understand his current legal situation. He is equally unable to understand the charges made against him or understand the legal issues or procedures of his case. He is unable to understand the possible disposition, pleas and penalties as well as the facts relevant to his case. He is totally unable to identify and locate witnesses who would act on his behalf. The patient is unable to communicate with counsel or comprehend instructions and advice or make decisions after counsel's advice. He would not be able to follow testimony for contradictions or errors. He would not be able to maintain a collaborative relationship with his attorney. He would not be able to testify credibly or logically in case of cross-examination. He would not be able to tolerate the stress at the trial or while awaiting trial. He would not be able to refrain from irrational behavior during the trial.

In conclusion, the patient is incompetent to stand trial. He is severely mentally ill and is in need of a commitment to a state facility in order to obtain competency. It is the belief of this clinician that the patient was not competent at the time of the commission of his infractions, namely, driving without a driver's license or driving a vehicle with out of state license plates. Because of the severe delusions that the patient is suffering from, he is unable to understand the severity of the offense made and to have any sense that he broke the law.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitation to contact me at (270) 886-4431 ext. 225 or P.O. Box 2200, Hopkinsville, KY 42241-2200.

Marco Baquero, M.D. Signature

(logo)
EDUCATION
PAYS

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Embassy of Heaven Church
PO Box 337
Stayton, Oregon 97383-0337
Kingdom of Heaven
Telephone: (503) 769-5034
Paul Revere, Pastor

April 9, Year of our Lord, 1999

Leslie Furches
312 N 4th Street
Murray, Kentucky 42071
(270) 753-0059 voice
(270) 759-9822 FAX

Re: Amos Lamb

Greetings from the Kingdom of Heaven where Jesus Christ is Lord and King.

We have received reports that Amos Lamb was given a mental health evaluation where it was recommended that Amos receive drug treatment because he does not understand reality.

This letter is to confirm that Amos Lamb is not alone in his convictions. As a fellow member of the Embassy of Heaven Church, he is one of at least a thousand brethren who hold similar beliefs that the Kingdom of Heaven is a current and present reality. We believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is God's government on earth and that Jesus Christ handed it over to the apostles at the Last Supper (Luke 22:25-30). As citizens of Heaven, we ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

We demand equal protection under the law. If it is a crime for the Church to be separate from the State, then all thousand of us should be arrested. If we are crazy to follow the simple teachings of Jesus Christ, then all of us should be seized and forced through a drug treatment program. Otherwise, are you not selectively prosecuting Amos Lamb?

Separated unto the Gospel,
Embassy of Heaven Church

Paul Revere, Pastor

cc: Randy Hutchens, Prosecutor

[No response from the Court or Prosecutor]

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Newspaper Articles

Man looking over wall

Murray Ledger & Times
Thursday, June 3, 1999

Lamb wants trial postponed
(front page story)
Medication has had a lasting effect, he claims.

By DAVID BLACKBURN
Staff Writer

The state says Amos Lamb is fit to stand trial on misdemeanor traffic charges, but he says he is not because of the continuing effects of medication given him during a court-ordered stay at a mental hospital for evaluation.

Lamb, 48, also said Wednesday he has been unable to find an attorney to represent him and his religious beliefs, which led to his arrest March 4 and subsequent trip to Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville.

The New Concord man said he plans to ask that his trial, scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday in Calloway District Court, be delayed until he feels better and can find counsel.

"I want somebody who will represent me, not the state," Lamb said. "If they will sign a contract with me to represent my cause, I've got no problem with it. (But) their first allegiance is to the court.

I'm really not competent to stand trial now with all the drugs in me," he said. "It sure put the sleep in me."

Lamb and his wife, Shari, say he is awake 15 minutes to one hour before he tires and sleeps three to four hours at a time. He also said his hands and mouth tremble at times.

"My nerves are on edge, almost like a panic attack," said Lamb as he sat on his couch in an otherwise empty living room, a Bible laying by his bare feet. He wore a T-shirt that said, "Get a Life: Follow Jesus."

Lamb claims that is what he was doing March 4 when he was stopped by Kentucky State Police and charged with having no insurance, no driver's license, no registration receipt and an improper registration plate.

According to Lamb's beliefs, he has no state driver's license because he has no Social Security number and won't apply for one. Doing so, he said, is entering into a contract and means "you give up your Christian heritage."

Lamb's beliefs include strict obedience to God's law and the Constitution and shunning statutory law. He is considered an "ambassador in Christ" by the Embassy of Heaven Church in Stayton, Ore., which follows the same beliefs.

Lamb was carrying a "driver's license," complete with a photograph, that was stamped with a seal reading "Kingdom of Heaven/Embassy of Heaven" and "Depart from Iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19)" when he was arrested.

During the legal proceedings, Lamb protested the spelling of his name in all capital letters. That, according to his beliefs, makes you a fictitious person.

"It's making you a creation of the state. I'm a creation of God," Lamb said. "When God's laws and man's laws conflict, if we're God's creation, we have no choice but to go with what God's laws are."

He also refused to cooperate during an arraignment before District Judge Leslie Furches, who ordered Lamb to undergo two mental evaluations.

According to a May 6 hospitalization order shown to the Ledger & Times by the Lambs, Furches ruled Lamb met the criteria for involuntary hospitalization. That was based on the evaluations by psychiatrist Dr. Marco Baquero and clinical psychologist Dr. Robert L. Smith; Lamb's conduct and testimony; and advice by Assistant County Attorney Chip Adams and public defender Dennis Lortie.

The order said Lamb was to be hospitalized for treatment and evaluation for 60 days or until otherwise recommended.

While at Western State, Lamb said, he was given medication against his wishes. He said he was told it was Prolixin, which is the brand name of a fluphenazine, a sedative used to treat emotional, nervous or mental problems.

Lamb said he was later told he was given Haldol, the short-term brand name version of haloperidol, an antipsychotic drug.

Lamb said he was given an injection May 11, followed by pills over the next three days. Lamb said he swallowed only one of the pills and spit out the rest in a hospital restroom.

"I was like a little kid," Lamb said with a grin.

The Lambs' copies of a medication administration chart from Western State show Lamb was given Haldol DEC on May 11 and Zyprexa, the brand name of the antipsychotic drug olanzapine, which comes in tablet form.

Haldol DEC is the brand name of haloperidol decanoate, which is based in a sesame oil to provide a slow and sustained release of haloperidol for as long as six weeks. The Zyprexa and both versions of haloperidol have involuntary movements of the face, mouth or arms and legs as a possible side effect.

Workers at Western State said they were required by the court order to give him the drugs or face contempt charges, Lamb said.

Lamb was released from the hospital May 15. He was released from the Calloway County Jail May 19 on a $500 unsecured bond after a way was devised for him to sign his name to bond papers that kept with his beliefs, said County Attorney Randy Hutchens.

He filled in his name and signed it "Amos Warren: Lamb."

Lamb's release from the hospital came one day after protesters convened a "court of divine justice" outside the Calloway County judicial building.

An organizer, Homer Fletcher of the Victory Baptist Church in Paducah, who said he is a minister to Lamb, and the other protesters found Furches, the attorneys and the doctors guilty of treason, rebellion and insurrection against the Constitution.

The group then found the "defendants" guilty, called for their resignation and turned them over to God.

"I think this is outrageous that they did this to this man." Fletcher said in a telephone interview Wednesday, referring to Lamb being given medication.

Fletcher said he has urged the Lambs to sue Furches and the other divine court "defendants" over the medication matter.

"I would like to see them file a lawsuit," he said.

The Lambs, who, like Fletcher, believe the issue has broadened to a question of religious freedom, said they are considering such a move.

Shari Lamb said she is bothered by the fact that the whole issue stems from a question about a driver's license.

"What's going to happen down the road?" she said.

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Saturday, May 15, 1999 The Paducah Sun

'Heaven,' Calloway clash over man sent to mental ward

A protest by the Embassy of Heaven slowed operations at the Calloway courthouse and caused extra security officers to be brought in.

By David Fraser
The Paducah Sun
MURRAY, Ky.

In the court of divine justice and his mind, Amos Lamb is righteous, and the word of law enforcement and judicial officials is invalid. In the Kentucky legal system, Lamb is being held at the Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville.

It is the perceived conflict between the law of the land and what a religious group called the Embassy of Heaven says is the law of God that brought about 20 people to the Calloway County Judicial Building on Friday morning to protest Lamb's confinement. The protest slowed operations at the courthouse and caused extra security officers to be brought in.

Lamb, 47, of New Concord, was stopped while driving on March 4 by Kentucky State Police Trooper Jason Young, who noticed Lamb's license plate was improperly displayed. During the stop, Lamb was discovered to have a false driver's license, no insurance, and he also was not wearing a seat belt. It was on those other charges that Lamb was taken to the Calloway County Detention Center.

The identification Lamb gave Young was issued by the Embassy of Heaven, a conservative religious movement based in Oregon.

County Attorney Randy Hutchens said Lamb would have been released from jail soon after his arrest, but Lamb refused to sign bond papers because he said his name was spelled improperly and he believed to sign the documents would validate the court's jurisdiction.

"I am a creation of God," Lamb said Thursday night. "Whenever they put your name in all capital letters, then they are saying you are a creation of man, and I can't operate under that. . . . It makes you a possession of the state."

The Rev. Homer Fletcher of Victory Baptist Church in Paducah studied religion and common law with Lamb. One of the fundamentals held by the Embassy of Heaven, Fletcher said, is recognizing only God and not the court system.

What exactly happened when Lamb appeared before Calloway District Judge Leslie Furches is not available from court documents, because Furches ordered the file sealed. A release from the Embassy of Heaven indicates, however, that Lamb was uncooperative, and Furches ordered a mental evaluation.

Lamb was taken to Western State Hospital, where Dr. Marco Baquero, medical director, did the evaluation March 10. He mailed the report to Furches, saying Lamb was incompetent to stand trial.

In his evaluation, Baquero wrote that Lamb is a "disheveled patient who looks about 55. . . . His affect is intense and at times inappropriate. . . . He is paranoid and suspicious." Lamb did not fulfill any criteria to stand trial and would not be able to conform to behavior needed to stand trial, Baquero wrote.

However, the Embassy of Heaven release said Dr. Tim Swain of Murray evaluated Lamb and judged him competent. Furches ordered a third evaluation, but Lamb refused to cooperate.

On May 6, Furches ordered another hearing. Lamb would not cooperate, and Furches ordered him held at Western State Hospital, where he could stay for up to 60 days. Furches and Hutchens believe treatment at the hospital can help Lamb.

While there, Lamb has claimed hospital staff has forced him to take medication against his will.

The protesters stood solemnly Friday, often with bowed heads. Some had American flags stuck in their shirt pockets; six carried signs protesting Lamb's treatment.

Fletcher declared that the following people were guilty of treason, rebellion and insurrection against Lamb: Furches; Hutchens; public defender Dennis Lortie; Baquero; and Dr. Robert Smith, a physician at Western State Hospital. At the conclusion of the service, Fletcher proclaimed each person "bound over to God."

Hutchens said he feels some pity for Lamb because he is getting bad advice.

"I think it's ironic that they held a hearing for me because I allegedly violated Mr. Lamb's rights," Hutchens said. "They held the trial without notifying me and violated my right to due process.

"My perspective is that Amos is getting very poor advice from people who have led him to this situation, people who have driver's licenses. Amos is very uncooperative, which makes it difficult for us to tell what is going on with him. I believe he enjoyed thumbing his nose at the legal system until about a week ago, when he found out he would be medicated. That is what precipitated all this action."

The Embassy of Heaven has posted Hutchens' and Furches' names and home addresses on its World Wide Web site, which caused the prosecutor some concern. Also posted at the site are copies of Lamb's mental evaluation by Baquero. Lamb's wife said the postings are part of Lamb's court records.

Lamb's wife and mother of their four children, Shari Lamb, watched the divine court without speaking, then talked softly and were near tears after the officials were bound over to God.

"Amos is a good and righteous man," she said. "He was coming back from Pastor Fletcher's house and he was stopped by a police officer. Instead of giving him a ticket, they brought him here to jail. Then last Friday they sent him to the mental hospital in Hopkinsville. It doesn't matter what they do to him: he won't give in."

Fletcher said: "They have said he is mentally ill because he is a citizen of heaven. I've watched drunk drivers walk up in court and pay fines, and this moral man that goes to church is locked up."

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Religious beliefs put man in jail

Driver refuses to get license, car registration

by JAMES MALONE
The Courier-Journal
Friday, May 14, 1999
Editor: Gideon Gil
Phone: (502) 582-4657 / FAX: (502) 582-4200

MURRAY, Ky. - Amos Lamb spent two months in the Calloway County jail and has now been committed to a mental hospital, a prisoner of his religious convictions.

Lamb, of New Concord, was arrested March 4 and charged with failing to wear a seat belt, not having a car registration or license tag, and having a phony driver's license - it was issued by the Embassy of Heaven, a conservative religious movement based in Oregon.

The charges in themselves aren't all that unusual, but Lamb's reasons are: He refuses to get any official documents - including a Social Security card - because he contends that violates his religious beliefs.

Questions about his competence for trial led to his move from jail to Western State Hospital earlier this month. Calloway County Attorney Randy Hutchins said Lamb was committed for treatment by District Judge Leslie Furches. While it's not known for how long Lamb was committed - the Calloway County circuit clerk refused to allow The Courier-Journal to inspect records related to Lamb's mental health or commitment - judges have the power to make commitments for up to 60 days.

But one of Lamb's supporters says he is just a peaceful, Bible-reading father of four who happens to interpret the Scriptures differently from many people.

"I'd say he is a political prisoner," said Homer Fletcher of Paducah, pastor of Victory Baptist Church, which Lamb attends and where he studies biblical and common law on Thursday evenings.

"Amos wants to live his life and be left alone," said Shari Lamb, his wife. "He hasn't hurt anybody." She said, "it all seems like a bad dream."

Lamb's supporters plan to rally in front of the Calloway County Courthouse today on his behalf. Fletcher said they will conduct what they call a common-law proceeding to file charges against the judge and prosecutor.

Prosecutors and judges say that while they can't give exact numbers, it seems that there have been more instances in Western Kentucky in the last five years of so-called sovereign defendants, people who refuse to adhere to any law because of religious or "patriotic" beliefs. They often represent themselves in court and may respond with crude handwritten motions; some refuse to supply any information. Lamb refused to allow himself to be fingerprinted.

Lamb could have left jail the day after his arrest if he had signed a routine recognizance bond, Hutchins said, but Lamb refused because he felt it would validate the court's jurisdiction.

A state psychiatrist, Marco Baquero, examined Lamb in March and said he was "visibly disturbed" and "very religiously preoccupied."

Furches, the judge, ordered a second evaluation and brought him back to court early this month. Furches thinks the hospital treatment can make Lamb competent for trial, Hutchins said. Furches could not be reached for comment.

Lamb's problems have not been confined to Calloway County. In 1997, he was convicted of 33 counts of jury tampering in Marshall County for passing out fliers to jurors who were going to hear his case on a charge of driving without insurance. The fliers asked jurors to nullify laws they felt were unjust. He was convicted anyway, fined $1,000 and sent to jail for three months.

Marshall District Judge Don Thomas, who prosecuted Lamb at the time, said Lamb clung to his religious beliefs. At one time, Thomas said, he averaged perhaps one such case a week.

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Murray Ledger & Times

Friday, May 14, 1999

Group to take Lamb case to 'divine court'

By DAVID BLACKBURN
Staff Writer

Protesters were expected to convene what one organizer called a "court of divine justice" Friday morning outside the Calloway County judicial building.

The reason: To "try" a judge, attorneys and doctors for alleged unfair treatment of Amos Lamb of New Concord during criminal proceedings over traffic violations because of his beliefs, which includes strictly following the Constitution and shunning statutory law.

Homer Fletcher, the pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Paducah and minister to Lamb, said the group will read the Bible, bring the charges, then turn the accused over to God, who Fletcher said was the ultimate judge.

"We just put them in God's hands," Fletcher said in a telephone interview Thursday night. He expected the event to last 20 minutes and was unsure of how many protesters would show up.

Judicial Building security officers, uncertain exactly who the protesters were and with whom they were affiliated, were taking no chances.

"We are going to take a little bit extra security measures" said Calloway County Sheriff Stan Scott.

Scott declined to discuss specifics about the extra measures, but officers could be seen moving police riot shields and making slight changes in the judicial building's lobby Thursday afternoon.

Scott met with members of the sheriff's department and the Murray Police Department, as well as workers in the Calloway County district and circuit offices.

A mock trial for elementary-age students and a competency hearing slated for this morning were canceled, according to Circuit/District Clerk Ann Wilson.

Among the concerns were the similarities in Lamb's beliefs and those professed by the Freemen and militia groups, who are usually Bible-based and don't recognize governmental authority.

But Fletcher said followers of the Patriot movement have no ties with either group although they share some beliefs.

Lamb, for example, has no Social Security number and considers himself a free man, Fletcher said.

He also has no driver's license, for which he was cited by state police March 4 during a traffic stop on U.S. 641 North.

He was also charged with not wearing a seat belt; having an illegible license plate; having no insurance; having no state registration plate or receipt; and having an improper registration plate.

Lamb was later jailed in lieu of a $500 unsecured bond, meaning he could be released by signing bond papers. Instead, he stayed in jail nine weeks, Fletcher said.

"What I'm upset about is the way he was treated," Fletcher said.

Fletcher said Lamb was never arraigned, in part because he refused to answer Calloway District Judge Leslie Furches' questions during a video arraignment from the jail.

As part of his beliefs, Lamb also felt being arraigned would be a tacit acceptance of statutory law instead of common law as set up in the Constitution, Fletcher said.

Lamb apparently disputed the way his name was spelled in all capital letters on a court document, Fletcher said.

In a court motion filed on Lamb's behalf, Fletcher said that Lamb believes such a spelling "represents a fictitious person like a corporation, which is an entity created by the state."

Lamb also questions whether his birth date is valid in court.

"Although I was there when I was born, I have no memory of it, and only know the date of my birth by hearsay," Fletcher wrote for Lamb, adding that hearsay has no validity in court.

"His views are different from the average person," Fletcher said.

Fletcher said Furches ordered Lamb to undergo a mental evaluation following Lamb's attempted arraignment. Lamb refused to cooperate with a re-evaluation in April, he said.

Furches later ordered Lamb committed for 60 days to Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville, where he was injected with Prolixin, a sedative used to treat emotional or mental disorders, against his will, Fletcher said.

In addition to Furches, Fletcher and others planned to bring charges against Assistant County Attorney Chip Adams, public defender Dennis Lortie and two doctors who evaluated Lamb.

Fletcher said he and others were unable to reach a diplomatic solution for Lamb's case with Furches, who he claims overstepped her bounds.

Lamb's beliefs "may be right, they may be wrong. I don't know," Fletcher said.

"Some of the things Amos believes, I believe," he said. "Are they going to lock me up?"

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