SUPERIOR COURT -- A judge's patience was wearing thin Tuesday after an identified sovereign citizen declined to be sworn in for preliminary questioning in order to represent himself at his September trial.

SUPERIOR COURT -- A judge's patience was wearing thin Tuesday after an identified sovereign citizen declined to be sworn in for preliminary questioning in order to represent himself at his September trial.

"It's against my oath to be sworn in," Edwin Roman, 36, responded to Judge Thomas J. Critchley, who subsequently advised Roman he could instead affirm he will tell the truth instead of being officially "sworn in."

"Let me ask you this way: I am going to ask you some questions, will you commit to the fact that what you will say will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Critchley asked.

"I cannot answer that," Roman said, adding, "I pledged my oath and allegiance to the Republic of Connecticut, which is under God. My allegiance is under God."

Roman, a resident of Bristol, Conn., was ordered detained on July 24 after Judge N. Peter Conforti considered several factors, including Roman's noncompliance in the courtroom and new charges he accrued in New York. Roman was initially arrested but later released in December 2018 following a motor vehicle stop in Newton where he initially said he had no weapons, only to be found with a loaded and chambered .45-caliber gun with hollow-point bullets on his person.

Critchley reiterated to Roman the importance of having an attorney, indicating that proceeding without one could lead to the maximum exposure of a mandatory state prison sentence due to the severity of the charges he is facing. A second-degree weapons charge carries up to 10 years in state prison and falls under the Graves Act, requiring a defendant to serve time in prison.

"(The severity of the charges) can often be mitigated through the efforts of counsel," Critchley said.

Neidhardt said the "disconnect" between Roman and the court system, stating, "He's either totally incompetent and he's living in a fantasy world, which I don't think he is because he has a driver's license, he maintains employment and has led a fairly competent life up until his arrest, or we are dealing with absolute refusal to come under the court's authority."

Critchley said he will be entering an order to document Roman's refusal to abide by the court's rules and said while he will treat him fairly and compassionately, "our ultimate obligation is to support and defend the Constitution and that means bringing him to judgment."

While Critchley said he intends on questioning Roman further about his "foolish" antics -- thinking it could be an emotional reaction to something -- he urged Roman to re-consider his thought process, stating,"If you value your freedom, this is not going to be a good outcome for you," Critchley added.

Neidhardt said he will be sending out subpoenas to the Newton officers who arrested Roman and is preparing for trial.

Tuesday's hearing came a week after Roman was escorted out of the courtroom by sheriff's officers after calling Assistant Prosecutor Jerome Neidhardt a liar before interrupting Critchley stating the Uniform Commercial Code and admiralty law.

A sovereign citizen is identified in various publications as someone who believes the American government was, at some point, secretly replaced by an illegitimate corporate government based on admiralty law. Roman has also said several times he is not Edwin Roman, but rather present in court "by special appearance."

In Sussex County, in addition to the weapon's charge, Roman is facing two additional charges of obstruction and possession of hollow point bullets, both fourth-degree crimes.

Roman was arrested on July 11 in Nichols, N.Y., after he was found with multiple knives during a motor vehicle stop for speeding, according to Neidhardt. He failed to disclose the weapons during the stop, leading to an obstruction charge.

Roman is expected back in court on Sept. 12.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.