Hello again from virtual court, this time before Mag. Judge Harvey in the case of J6 defendant Anthime Gionet, who prosecutors have also accused of running afoul of his pretrial release conditions. See:
Gionet's atty filed a response disputing he'd violated any release condition, saying he needs to make videos for the web to earn a living, and calling probation's request for stricter conditions "asinine" assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2079…
(Disclosure again that Gionet is a former BuzzFeed employee, also known by the nickname "Baked Alaska")
Pretrial services officer isn't giving many details, but says it appears Gionet has been "agitating" various situations and coming into contact with law enforcement. Officer notes that he's been banned from a Starbucks in Arizona for a year (for unspecified reasons)
Pretrial services officers from AZ says while Gionet didn't technically violate any specific release conditions, they're worried about his danger to the community because he's posting videos showing him trying to agitate and offend and provoke violent responses
AUSA says that Gionet has come right up to the line of violating his release conditions, noting that a police report during one of his encounters with law enforcement notes they considered arresting him for disorderly conduct due to "combative" behavior
Gionet's lawyer focuses on the fact that so far no one is saying he actually violated any release conditions, stresses that Gionet had contacts with law enforcement because he called the cops after a friend hit him
Gionet's lawyer says making videos is his only source of income (govt wants a posting ban), and says govt is trying to chill him from calling police when in danger.

Govt notes Gionet filmed encounters with police to create "viral content" and used "unwitting" cops as "extras"
Gionet's lawyer questions why they're even in court when no one is alleging he actually violated his release conditions. Judge replies that they're there because Gionet *recorded it all and put it on the internet*
Conclusion: Judge won't bar Gionet from posting videos online, but will order him to report all future contacts with law enforcement (as a reminder of his situation) and says he can't have any guns/weapons in his home, given propensity for trying to provoke assaultive conduct
Judge makes pretty clear he's over Gionet's schtick. He said he watched the video at issue and called it "inane," and sighed deeply before telling Gionet that he can call police if he needs to, but the concern was about him provoking events leading up to him calling the police
Gionet says something muffled on the line re: the call to police being part of a "prank," which the judge did not take kindly to. His lawyer says it was a reference to Gionet's detractors making false reports. Judge basically says whatever, you need to report all future contacts
And that's a wrap on that hearing

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More from @ZoeTillman

4 Jun
Hello from Judge McFadden's virtual courtroom, where a hearing is set to begin soon on J6 defendant Brandon Fellows, who is accused, for a second time, of violating some of his pretrial release conditions. More here:
Meanwhile, DOJ has sent out a fact sheet in advance of tomorrow, which marks 150 days since the Jan. 6 riots. Highlights:
~465 people arrested from nearly every state + DC
~130 people charged with assaulting/interfering with police
~200 charged w/ obstructing official proceeding
Back to the Brandon Fellows hearing: Judge is asking about his mental health, and whether there are issues there that are behind his compliance problems. Probation officer is recc'ing at least an eval; AUSA argues he continues to disregard the "privilege" the court has given him
Read 7 tweets
3 Jun
New: Sen. Ted Cruz has won his lawsuit challenging a campaign finance law that caps the amount of post-election contributions that can be used to repay personal loans to a campaign at $250K assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2079…
A special three-judge panel was appointed, since it involves campaign finance law. Unanimous decision for Cruz from an ideologically diverse group: DC Circuit Judge Neomi Rao (Trump appointee) + US District Judges Amit Mehta (Obama appointee) and Timothy Kelly (Trump appointee)
The panel concluded the govt failed to show the cap was narrowly tailored to prevent quid pro quo corruption.

Rao wrote the opinion: "We find that the loan-repayment limit burdens political speech and thus implicates the protection of the First Amendment."
Read 8 tweets
3 Jun
Today in non-J6 legal news: There was a hearing re: John Hinckley, the man who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan (and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.)

Hinckley has been out of the hospital since 2016, and his lawyer will soon be arguing for unconditional release
Hinckley's lawyer Barry Levine suggested an evidentiary hearing isn't even necessary, since the mental health professionals working with Hinckley have recc'd full release, but the govt wants a full hearing.

Previously on Hinckley's release conditions: buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
AUSA told the judge the government has enlisted their own expert to evaluate Hinckley's situation, and they haven't gotten that report yet
Read 5 tweets
2 Jun
Something of a ~situation~ has come up in Dems' civil lawsuit over Jan. 6 — they're claiming Rep. Mo Brooks, one of the defendants, is making it hard to serve him with the suit and won't waive formal service like Trump, Trump Jr., and Giuliani did assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2079… ImageImage
So the plaintiffs asked the judge for more time (there's a deadline to serve a defendant with a complaint once you sue them) and for the judge to step in and have the US Marshals Service or some other entity help get this done Image
Tonight, the judge agreed to give Dems more time to serve Brooks (who is, a reminder, their collegue in the House), but won't order the US Marshals to get involved because of "separation of powers concerns" Image
Read 4 tweets
2 Jun
Hello from Judge Randolph Moss' virtual courtroom, where Paul Hodgkins is set to become the 2nd Capitol insurrection defendant to plead guilty.

His original charging docs: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2048…
Hodgkins will be pleading guilty to the most serious count he was indicted on, obstruction of an official proceeding (indictment: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2050…) and the remaining misdemeanors for illegally entering the Capitol will be dismissed
Dialed in too late to hear this, apparently we have some special guests on the line as well
Read 15 tweets
1 Jun
NEW: An assistant US attorney sexually harassed women across the federal government, according to a newly obtained inspector general report — the report details physical and verbal harassment of an intern, FBI analyst, another AUSA, and a postal inspector buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
The DOJ inspector general's office announced the conclusion of this investigation in November, but shared little information. The full (albeit heavily redacted) 11-page report includes lots of new details about the misconduct substantiated by investigators buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
The inspector general's office redacted the AUSA's name, citing privacy exemptions to FOIA. It's the latest in a string of reports about substantiated harassment and misconduct complaints at DOJ where the subject's name is kept under seal buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…
Read 4 tweets

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