| In DC
Insurrection Case Oath Keeper Watkins Is
Detained By DDC Judge Mehta
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
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FEDERAL COURT,
Feb 26– During
closing
arguments of
the
impeachment
trial in the
U.S. Senate,
insurrectionist Thomas
Edward Caldwell
was ordered
detained until
trial by District
Judge Amit P.
Mehta.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted it, here and
below.
(US v.
Caldwell
affidavit on
Patreon here).
Now
on February 26
Jessica
Watkins, who
as a founder
of a small
Ohio militia
was present at
the Capitol on
January 6, was
ordered
detained
pending trial.
Inner City Press
live tweeted
it here:
(Podcast here)
DDC Judge Amit P. Mehta says, we'll get
into the detention issues.
Defense lawyer deals with the Davis case
(basis of many re-sentencings throughout the
Federal system), on what is a crime of
violence.
Judge Mehta: Do you agree on this ten year
overlap referenced in the Bail Reform
Act... for destruction of Federal property?
Defense lawyer: Judge Nichols deal with this
this morning on Gina Bisignano, and released
her
Judge Mehta: Are you saying that, for
example, pouring blood on the Lincoln Memorial
is a crime of violence? AUSA: We have the 6th
Circuit case in Jenkins, about pillaging.
Force is applied. There is a Black's Law point
that there can be a non-forcible taking
AUSA: Of consider indirect application of
force like poison. Pouring a drop of poison
into water does not require much application
of force, it has an impact. Like graffiti,
thousands of dollars of damage. Here, the
property damage is over $1000.
Judge Mehta: This is where I come out. I think
that the government is correct that the crime
charged for destruction of property, with
maximum term of 10 years - I'm going off plain
text. They overlap at 10 years, as Circuit
courts have said... Inner City Press
@innercitypress · 1h Judge Mehta: For example
US
v. Theriault, 555 F2d 460
Judge Mehta: I do think this qualifies
as a qualifying offense. But I don't agree
that just because a presumption applies, it
obviates the need for a detention hearing.
Inner City Press @innercitypress · 1h AUSA:
There were 100s of people at the Capitol that
day. Her case is not part of the general
pattern. She recruited, planned and organized
a major part of this insurrection. She tried
to intimidate government - it's the Federal
crimes of terrorism, as it's defined
AUSA: Her deals have not abated, her
feelings against the government - "nothing
wrong with that" - but confined with her
actions, she should be detained. Judge Mehta:
These Quick Reaction force, the text messages
with Mr. Caldwell...
Judge Mehta: Does the government have proof
there were people outside of the District
ready with weapons? We could do it outside of
the public session. AUSA: I would appreciate
that. Judge Mehta: OK, we'll go into a
break-out closed session.
Ten minutes and Judge Mehta is still in
closed session to hear evidence about there
being people waiting outside DC with weapons
on January 6. Either there's a lot of
evidence, or a lot of questions - or both....
Photo from US v. Jessica Watkins
OK - Judge Mehta is back: You did sent me on
Tuesday the recipe you alluded to in your
papers. AUSA: The recipe for bomb making was
one that appeared in the Anarchist Cookbook,
published in the early 1970s. The author went
by the name Jolly Roger.
Judge Mehta: Who typed it? AUSA: We don't
know. Judge Mehta: Is there any exculpatory
evidence? AUSA: We are accessing all the
video, we don't have it yet. We don't see her
assaulting an officer, per se. But she said in
Ohio, We stood our ground and drew the line
AUSA: We take that to mean she tried to
repel police trying to protect the building.
So it's physical confrontation... Meanwhile,
she proposes to reside with her partner who we
understand to also be a militia member.
AUSA: Person-1, a founder of the Oath
Keepers, says not to follow orders of this
current president. We are concerned. Ms.
Watkins says, "I don't underestimate the
resolve of the Deep State... Then it is our
duty to resist." This type of zeal has not
dissipated.
AUSA: She said she is proud of being a
member of the Oath Keepers. She has become
more strident. So there are no set of
conditions to release her. Judge Mehta: What's
the date of the Person-1 communication in ECF
30, Page 4?
AUSA: January 12. Defense lawyer: So she said
$50 to be a member of the Oath Keepers. But
she's really just a consultant. She is not a
planner for the Oath Keepers. She did that for
militia, it is a small group. She is going to
put on the record here she wants to disband
the militia
Defense lawyer: And her bar is not
called Jolly Roger because of the Anarchist
Cookbook. Jolly Roger is a pirate. Judge
Mehta: The cookbook walks about making plastic
explosive from bleach. Defense lawyer: She had
them just because they are interesting.
Defense lawyer: Jessica Watkins is a trained
medic. She served in the army. She was there
on January 6 to try to help keep order, they
should Antifa and BLM would be there.
Judge Mehta: What's troubling here is
her communication on this closed circuit
system. An unknown male says, We have probable
cause to make a citizen's arrest for election
fraud. Defense lawyer: Ms. Watkins did say
that. She wasn't even hearing everything said
Defense lawyer: There's been in this court a
woman who used a battering ram. That's not Ms.
Watkins. Did she do a little chest thumping?
Sure. But that does not support the finding
that she destroyed any property. At most,
aiding and abetting.
Defense lawyer: There's been a lot of
disparities and inconsistencies in who gets
released and who does. That happens when you
go before judges all over the country. There
was the gentleman who used a flag pole to
break the glass where Ashli Babbitt was killed
Defense lawyer: 21-mj-76, he wasn't even
detained. A man who used a taser, on multiple
occasions. An officer nearby suffered a heart
attack after being tased. Another request for
a break-out room...
Defense lawyer (female, easier to ID)- still
comparing to other cases: Flexi-cuffs, guy
pushed officer and had to be pepper sprayed,
in these cases the government did not seek
detention. This morning Judge Nichols released
a woman who was aerosol spraying officers
Defense lawyer: There are a lot of complex
aspects to Ms. Watkins. She wants to make a
statement in a moment. Ms Watkins: Me and Mr.
Montana, we co-founded our militia, to help
people in the tornado alley in Ohio. My fellow
Oath Keepers have turned my stomach.
Ms. Watkins: For the record, your Honor,
I have disbanded my militia. We're done with
that life style. It's time to let all of that
go. I don't intend to use social media, even
for amusement. I just want to focus on my
business. I'm sorry. I'm humiliatated.
AUSA: She's a regional leader of her
militia, hooked up with the Oath Keepers,
before January 6. She recruited Parker, who
went into the building.
Judge Mehta: Mr. Caldwell, he was an
organizer. Is the government asking that
others be held in this conspiracy. Defense
lawyer: The Parkers have both been
released. Judge Mehta: I'm going to go
off the record and think about some things.
I'll be back at 3:50 [in ten minutes.]
Judge
Mehta is ruling: She has been referred to as
the commanding officer of the militia in
Ohio. She is a member of the Oath Keepers.
She has participated in planning calls with
the Oath Keepers and is in communication
with the leader of the Oath Keepers
Judge Mehta: She was organizing groups
to come to the city on January 6. On the
nature and circumstances of the offense,
candidly, present a danger. This is
historic, an incursion on the Capitol. She
was an organizer.
Judge Mehta: There's this recipe for making
a destructive device. I think it's
indicative of things she may have thought
about. I do think this favors
detention. I refer to my comments in
the closed session.
Judge Mehta: Whatever the President
said, it doesn't justify bringing weapons
toward Washington DC. Are there lesser
conditions? I've thought about that - but I
can't get there.
Judge Mehta: I'm concerned about your
partner, being a member of the Ohio militia.
Today you've renounced the Oath Keepers. But
I have to balance that against your prior
conduct. You might re-affiliate. We cannot
monitor all of your communications,
encrypted apps
Judge Mehta: I am not prepared to release
Ms. Watkins. I grant the government's motion
to detain her. Next date is March 12.
We'll
have more on
this.
Inner
City Press
live tweeted
Riley June
Williams on
January 25, here.
From January
22, song here:
Thread here.
Inner City
Press' John Earle Sullivan
song on SoundCloud here.
***
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