U.S. judge agrees to postpone Proud Boys trial amid Jan. 6 Capitol riot hearings
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal choose on Wednesday postponed the trial for leaders of the Proud Boys dealing with seditious conspiracy expenses for his or her function in storming the U.S. Capitol, amid fears that revelations throughout current congressional hearings might taint the jury pool.
U.S. District Decide Timothy Kelly set a brand new trial date of Dec. 12, after prosecutors and attorneys for 3 of the Proud Boys defendants requested a delay.
Of their request, they cited issues that the high-profile hearings by the U.S. Home of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault might adversely influence the legal trial. Additionally they voiced fears that they won’t have sufficient time to overview probably new proof that may very well be launched by the congressional panel within the coming weeks.
The trial had initially been scheduled for Aug. 8.
The defendants, together with former Proud Boys chief Enrique Tarrio, are dealing with expenses of seditious conspiracy for his or her alleged roles within the assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Throughout the U.S. Home Choose Committee’s first listening to, televised stay in prime-time, the panel confirmed the viewers snippets of surveillance footage that includes Joseph Biggs, one of many Proud Boys defendants, in addition to excerpts from the deposition of Tarrio.
The Justice Division final week wrote a letter renewing its plea for the committee handy over copies of transcripts from interviews with greater than 1,000 witnesses, saying its failure to take action was impeding each ongoing legal probes and pending prosecutions.
Tarrio’s lawyer on Wednesday stated his shopper opposed suspending the trial, saying he believes Tarrio won’t ever get a good trial.
“Whether or not it is August, December – we can’t get an neutral jury in Washington, D.C.,” stated Nayib Hassan.
Kelly stated he expects the trial might last as long as six weeks, and would run via the vacation season “with out a substantive break.”
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Enhancing by Leslie Adler)
