To the Editor:
Religious liberty, separation of church and state, due process of law, and when accused of a crime, the right to a common law trial by a jury of one’s peers are the law of the land and bedrock principles of a free people and a free state.
The City of Ocean City and County of Cape May corporation public officials, law enforcement, and judicial officers may be acting questionably by keeping me locked up for the past six months in county jail where I continue to be denied arraignment, bail, and a common law trial by jury for the pretended crimes of stalking and contempt of court under admiralty flag jurisdiction of the U.S. government, not common law.
These criminal accusations, charges, and prosecution stem from me peaceably wearing a black-and-white-striped Halloween prisoner costume to my home church of 24 years, St. Peter’s United Methodist, and to public worship services hosted by our congregation on the Boardwalk, in a test of free speech and free exercise of religion.
Common law crimes were abolished in the State of New Jersey over 40 years ago, leading to people like me having their liberty confiscated with the stroke of a police officer’s pen under color of law and color of authority.
The City of Ocean City settled a lawsuit for a 15-minute claim of false imprisonment against a municipal police officer in 2015 for $10,000 per minute of custody.
I believe I am also a victim of false imprisonment since November 2021, incarcerated for 260,000 minutes, thus far, as I write this letter from the Cape May County jail.
If the taxpayers of Ocean City and Cape May County do not object to a $1.44 million daily liability, then neither shall I.
– Nelson Dice, Cape May County Correctional Facility
