RUSTBURG — A Campbell County man convicted in March of carrying a pistol onto Rustburg High School’s parking lot despite his insistence that the government has no power over him was ordered to be released Tuesday after spending seven months in jail.
Edward Royal Martin Jr. was sentenced Tuesday morning in Campbell County Circuit Court to a year in jail for each of two felony charges: carrying a gun onto school property and removing the vehicle identification number from his automobile.
Judge John Cook suspended that sentence but ordered Martin to undergo two years of supervised probation with six more years of unsupervised probation.
During the hearing, Martin said he deserved neither jail time nor probation. Martin said he obeys the “laws of the creator of the universe.”
“All I was doing was exercising my God-given rights,” he said.
Martin has refused the help of a lawyer throughout his court proceedings, telling a string of judges that he does not recognize the commonwealth’s laws and that the state has no power over him.
Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Lawhorn testified at Martin’s trial that he stopped Martin on Nov. 17 after an anonymous call that a vehicle in the parking lot at the school’s ring dance had no license plates.
A woman claiming to be Martin’s wife later called The News & Advance to say she had called police.
A subsequent investigation showed Martin’s vehicle identification number had been removed and the truck’s license plates had been substituted with homemade ones.
Lawhorn testified the license plate read only “Ed.” When questioned, Martin told him he had mailed back copies of government-issued identification such as his driver’s license and vehicle titles and that he no longer recognized the power of the state.
When he searched the vehicle, Lawhorn said, he found a loaded .45-caliber pistol under the front seat. Martin said he forgot the gun was in the truck.
“This man has spent enough time in jail,” Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul McAndrews told the court.
McAndrews said he understood that Martin had firmly held beliefs, but a continued refusal to recognize the laws of Virginia could make him dangerous.
“I understand he doesn’t like the laws, but he must obey them,” he said.
On misdemeanor charges, Martin was sentenced to 30 days suspended for driving without a license and must pay a $150 fine. He was ordered to pay a $30 fine for driving without a license plate, and he must forfeit the pistol seized in the traffic stop.
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