Jan. 6 defendants beg courts to attend Trump's inauguration: report
Those accused of attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, are now begging the courts to be allowed to attend Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Among the 1,600 people charged with a felony or misdemeanor for their role in Jan. 6, many of them have had their travel restricted, particularly when it comes to visiting the building they allegedly attacked, CBS News reported.
They argue that they are not a threat to public safety because their candidate of choice won this time.
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Defendant Christopher Belliveau asked the Justice Department for the allowance in a Monday court filing.
"The last organized event the defendant attended in Washington, D.C., spiraled into a full-scale riot. This was the scene of his charged crime — a violent felony which contributed to the disruption of the peaceful transition of power," federal prosecutors wrote.
"The most compelling reason to deny Belliveau's motion is that allowing his travel to Washington, D.C. places Capitol Police Officers in danger," the filing continued. "Belliveau argues that his lack of violent past warrants a modification of his conditions of release. But that makes his return to the Capitol even more concerning — Belliveau was only willing to engage in violence against Capitol Police Officers who were trying to keep a crowd of rioters under control."
Belliveau has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sprayed police with bear spray during the attack.
Still, his lawyers claimed, "It is also vital to remember that, while Mr. Belliveau stands accused, he is presumed innocent, thus the mere fact that he is charged does not suggest that he is inherently more dangerous than any other person."
Defendant Cindy Young was found guilty of her crimes in August. In a Dec. 11 filing, her lawyer said that she has "complied with her conditions of release" and asked to attend the inauguration.
In the filing, Young's attorney claimed, "She poses no threat of danger to the community and is not a risk of flight. She was allowed to travel several times to Washington, D.C., including to the Capitol building, while preparing for trial, and there were no incidents."
William Pope submitted a filing on Saturday requesting permission to attend Trump's big day.
"Initially, I had declined an invitation to attend the inauguration (since I don't enjoy being in Washington), however, I have now been asked a second time, and I believe it would be inappropriate for me to turn this request down," he wrote.
He is scheduled to face trial in May, though that could change if Trump fulfills his promise to pardon the defendants.