Blaze journalist Steve Baker to appeal court order restricting travel, 2A rights after arrest over J6 reporting

An investigative journalist charged with non-violent misdemeanors for his coverage of the January 6 riot has revealed that he and his legal team are set to appeal court orders involving his right to travel within the United States and possess firearms. 

The Blaze's Steve Baker said the decision was made only after the judge who issued the orders refused to engage with the legal arguments, opting instead to issue minute orders. 

In a recent piece for the Blaze, Baker called District Judge Christopher Cooper's ruling "unusual," declaring that, "by issuing a minute order, rather than responding directly to our legal arguments — case precedents, listed statutes, etc. — Cooper leaves us no choice but to seek an expedited appeal." 

After Baker was taken into custody, several pretrial restrictions were imposed on him. Among them were that he gave up his firearms and was to report all travel to his pretrial services officer in his home state of North Carolina.  

Baker's legal team submitted a motion last month requesting that Cooper rethink those two restrictions, arguing that there was no justification in his case as he's not a "flight risk" or "danger to society." 

The journalist pointed out that he's still free to travel internationally as he pleases, thereby proving that even the Department of Justice doesn't think he'll flee the country to avoid prosecution. 

Baker, who often meets with Congress members and other government personnel in Washington, DC for work, said it was not "legally appropriate" to have to notify the executive or judicial branch, the DOJ and courts, respectively, of his contact with members of the legislative branch. 
 
"As for any 'danger' I might pose to society," he added, "I have no criminal history whatsoever. There seems to be no rational or legal justification for taking away my Second Amendment right to self-defense, though the government argues that my North Carolina PSO could be placed in some imagined danger if and when he makes unannounced visits to my residence." 
 
Baker pointed out that other January 6 defendants have had their second amendment rights restored pre-trial after successfully arguing that they posed no danger to society.  

His next hearing is scheduled for June 3, at which his legal team is set to discuss the minute orders while preparing the expedited appeal.