Federal judges grant permission for some J6 defendants to attend Trump inauguration

According to the Associated Press, at least 20 defendants have requested court approval to attend the event. Prosecutors have opposed many of these requests, arguing that allowing these individuals to return to the site of their alleged crimes while still under court supervision poses risks.

“What’s past is prologue, and the defendants could easily find themselves in another situation where they engage in mob violence,” one prosecutor wrote in opposition to a request by a New York couple.

Despite these objections, judges have permitted at least 11 defendants to attend the inauguration. Eight others had their requests denied. Those who have completed their sentences are free to attend without restrictions.

The New York couple, Carol and Kevin Moore, received permission from District Judge John Bates to attend while they are currently awaiting trial in April. Prosecutors argued that police officers could be “retraumatized” by the couple’s presence.

However, Judge Bates determined that the couple’s attendance was unlikely to have such an impact, stating, “The nature of the inauguration is wholly different from the last event the Moores attended that involved the transition of power. Put simply, the inauguration will involve a crowd largely supporting the peaceful transition of power, not opposing it.”

The Moores’ attorney indicated they plan to display signs reading, “Day One,” advocating for Trump to pardon January 6 participants on his first day in office. Trump has repeatedly referred to a number of the defendants as “patriots” and has said he is considering pardons for those that were nonviolent.

Not all defendants have been granted permission to attend. Jared Miller, a Virginia man charged with assaulting police on January 6, was among those denied. His attorney, Stephen Brennwald, argued that the inauguration would be a “completely different scenario” and that his client’s conduct is not relevant to the request to travel to the inauguration.

“No longer will the participants and observers be in the District out of anger, ready to fight to try to wrest back the power they felt had been unjustly taken from them. Rather, they will be cheering the person they support, and law enforcement will not be in an antagonistic position to those attending the event,” his attorney, Stephen Brennwald wrote. However, the judge denied Miller’s request, citing his assault charges.