Name: Freemen (Montana Freemen)

Location: Justus Township. Jordan, Garfield County, Mont.

Main Belief/Focus: Freemen are involved with Christian Identity, which teaches that God made white gentiles as the race that is superior.

Freemen deny that the federal and state courts have any hold on them. They claimed that a common law court system was the only Constitutional court system.

The groups identity beliefs form their beliefs for government. They often intimidated public officials and others who spoke against their beliefs.

Freemen passed bogus checks and money orders across the United States for such items as cars, homes, boats, and condos.

Members: A small group was hold up in their Montana compound in 1996.

Objective: The Freemen appeared to advocate common law courts for ideological reasons. However, they used their beliefs to undermine the value of the American Federal government and passed phony bank notes and checks.

Region: The Freemen were headquartered in Montana, but were based off of common law teachings from the 1960's group 'the Posse.' They traveled around the country, and had seminars in Montana.

* Small group of roughly 12 to 18 men, women, and children.

* Located in Jordan, Mont.

* The group lived on a 960-acre farm, until the surrender that sent most to jail.

* They believe in rejecting all authority of the federal and state governments.

* The group states that they are only bound by parts of the United States and Montana constitutions, common law, the Bible, the Magna Carta and the Uniform Commercial Code.

* Some of the leaders were charged with threatening public officials, conspiracy and bank, financial and mail fraud.

* Ten other people, believed to be on the farm, were also charged in the scheme.

* Surrendered in June of 1996.

* These members were not originally from Montana.

* They were well liked and the local county sympathized with what they had to say. They lost support when many of their ideas became more hostile and weird.

* The standoff lasted for 80 days.

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