White man protesting drivers licenses during ‘freedom ride’ tries to arrest judge during his trial

A man who considers himself a "sovereign citizen" tried unsuccessfully to have the judge overseeing a criminal case against him arrested, West Hawaii Today reports.

William Gilroy was arrested in January after taking part in a protest against driver's licenses, the paper reports. The protest was dubbed the "Freedom Ride," after the famous protest during the Civil Rights era when black activists rode buses to protest segregation in the Jim Crow south.

Gilroy refused to show proof of insurance, even though he said he has insurance, because doing so would constitute an "invasion of privacy."

He told the paper he considers himself an organization,“William Michael Gilroy, American private citizen and international organization.” According to Hawaii Today, that is a common belief among sovereign citizens, a strange subculture whose adherents believe they are above the law because they do not recognize it.

Gilroy directed the bailiff in the court room to arrest the judge, Michael Udovic, but Udovic responded by telling Gilroy he was running the risk of being held in contempt and being arrested himself.

“Mr. Gilroy, I don’t want to throw you into jail,” Udovic said, according to Hawaii Today.