‘Sovereign being of light’ gets continuance

Gresham campground owner Ann Retzlaff, who introduced herself as “a sovereign being of light,” received another continuance Aug. 13 in her Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court case involving a high-speed chase and claims she was rescuing a sex trafficking victim.

Retzlaff appeared at the preliminary hearing without an attorney, just as she had in May, claiming she has not yet found an attorney who was “constitutionally sound” and “not actively involved in many cases.” On May 25, Judge William Kussel Jr. pushed back the preliminary hearing by more than two months to give Retzlaff time to find an attorney, and Retzlaff had said August was better for her because June and July were busy months for her business, Annie’s Campground.

Retzlaff is accused of a single count of fleeing an officer, two counts of second-degree recklessly endangering the safety of police officers and one count of resisting an officer in Shawano County. The resisting charge is a misdemeanor, while the others are felonies.

Retzlaff is also facing a misdemeanor charge of resisting and failing to stop in Menominee County on the same chase.

“I would prefer to have somebody represent, but I can try to do it by myself,” Retzlaff said to Kussel.

Kussel asked if Retzlaff needed another couple of weeks to get an attorney, noting that “we gave you a lot of time.” He said that, if Retzlaff opted to go on without an attorney, it would require them to go through a question-and-answer session to determine if she wanted to waive the right.

“I will not waive any of my rights,” Retzlaff said, adding that Oct. 15 would be a better time for her for the preliminary hearing.

Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker suggested that a status conference be scheduled prior to scheduling a preliminary hearing, noting that the officers involved in the chase had come to court to speak at the hearing. Kussel scheduled the status conference for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5 but warned that there would be no further continuances.

“Anyone who is licensed in the state of Wisconsin is allowed to practice law in this courtroom,” Kussel said. “There are thousands of attorneys in this state.”

Retzlaff replied that she was having difficulty because the attorneys are part of the American Bar Association, which she claimed was unconstitutional. She also said the charges against her were “all false charges.”

Retzlaff tried to announce something about two open human trafficking cases, but Kussel cut her off, saying that she should have an attorney deal with the matter because what she says in open court could potentially be used against her.

“They could also be used against the court,” Retzlaff said.

To that, Kussel asked: “Did you make a threat?”

Retzlaff tried to cite a specific law regarding her statement, to which Kussel said the matter needed to be handled by an attorney.

On May 15, a Shawano County deputy heard on Menominee County radio traffic about a high-speed chase involving a vehicle registered to Retzlaff for failing to stop at a traffic light, according to the criminal complaint. The chase, starting in Keshena on state Highway 47-55, continued through the towns of Wescott and Richmond, where deputies twice laid out spike strips, and ended on state Highway 29 just west of County Road MMM.

Deputies with Shawano and Menominee counties initiated a “high-risk stop,” according to the complaint, and shut down traffic on the highway’s westbound lanes. A lieutenant advised Retzlaff to get out of the vehicle, but she allegedly said she was a “sovereign citizen” and would not exit. A deputy used a slim jim to open the passenger door, which is when Retzlaff allegedly tried to drive off, nearly hitting two Shawano County officials.

Eventually, the vehicle was stopped again, and deputies pulled Retzlaff out of her vehicle. According to the complaint, as she was being handcuffed and searched, she claimed the deputies were involved with covering up sex trafficking and said she was rescuing one of her employees from a sex trafficking house on “Crow Territory” in Menominee County.

Retzlaff has had other cases in Shawano County. In April, she had restraining orders against her for harassing Shawano County Supervisor Joe Miller and his wife, Jackie Miller. In November 2020, a guilty verdict due to a no contest plea was entered against Retzlaff for a case where she made a phone call and claimed she was a sheriff’s deputy.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com