Federal judge in Roger Stone case tells DOJ to come prepared after alleged interference by Bill Barr: report

On Wednesday, Law & Crimereported that the federal district judge presiding over the case of President Donald Trump's former campaign advisor Roger Stone issued an order to the Justice Department that appears designed to address the allegations Attorney General William Barr interfered in the case to try to get Stone a more lenient sentence.

"U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson advised the Department of Justice (DOJ) to come prepared in a filing due Thursday with some sort of precedent in the district–or by way of an agency internal policy–that would support delaying the start of Stone’s imprisonment any further," reported Colin Kalmbacher. "Essentially, the judge overseeing Stone’s case believes the government is likely to side with a recent Stone request to delay imprisonment due to the pandemic, but wants to get the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office on the record and in writing in order to assess whether or not the government is treating Stone differently from others who have made similar requests. The judge previously ordered Stone to report to prison by June 30."

The order comes just after testimony in the House Judiciary Committee from former Robert Mueller prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky, who alleged Barr has been intervening in the Stone case to try to prevent a harsh sentence for Trump's former associate and friend.

Stone, who was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and false statements in connection with the Mueller probe and sentenced to three years in prison, has been publicly calling for mercy in light of the explosion of COVID-19 in prisons and jails around the country.

“I’m fighting for my life,” he said to his Instagram followers. “Incarceration at a facility with COVID-19 during a pandemic is a deep state death sentence. Roger Stone did nothing wrong. Justice for Roger Stone.”