Russell Taylor’s cooperation and good conduct doesn’t entitle him to permission to journey to Washington for the inauguration, the decide decided.
A federal decide has denied a Jan. 6 defendant’s request to journey to Washington to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, a visit requiring court docket approval underneath his probation phrases.
Russell Taylor, who pleaded responsible to conspiracy for his function within the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, had sought permission to journey along with his spouse and youngsters to witness the ceremony, scheduled for Jan. 20, when Trump will probably be sworn into workplace for a second time period.
Citing the “specific nature and severity” of Taylor’s actions throughout the Capitol incident, the decide famous Taylor’s personal admission that his intent in touring to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to “intimidate” members of Congress and “affect” them to reject the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory within the 2020 presidential race. Taylor deliberate to breach the Capitol, carried weapons and physique armor, urged others to arm themselves, pushed via police barricades, and threatened officers throughout violent clashes, Lamberth stated.
“This abstract paints the image of Mr. Taylor’s unusually grave conduct,” the decide wrote. “Whereas he didn’t personally assault regulation enforcement officers, he did threaten them and encourage different rioters who had been actively assaulting them.”
Lamberth acknowledged that Taylor had “commendably” taken accountability for his actions and cooperated with investigators, incomes him a probationary sentence that was “drastically” extra lenient than any of his co-defendants. Nevertheless, Taylor’s cooperation and good conduct doesn’t entitle him to permission to journey to Washington for the inauguration, the decide decided.
“It might not be acceptable for the Courtroom to grant permission to attend such a hallowed occasion to somebody who carried weapons and threatened cops in an try to thwart the final Inauguration, and who overtly glorified ‘revolt’ in opposition to the USA,” Lamberth wrote.
The decide stated he had taken under consideration the invitation letter from Stewart, which endorsed Taylor’s character, however dismissed it as solely of “marginal” significance to his request for permission to journey to attend the inauguration.
A number of different Jan. 6 defendants—together with Cindy Younger and Christopher Belliveau—have sought permission to attend the inauguration.