Thread by @joshgerstein

#CapitolRiot defendant Brandon Fellows is on the stand now seeking release from pretrial detention. Compares himself to Jesus and says he plans no criticism of the government beyond that of Jesus calling the Pharisees ‘snakes'

He tried to call his own (ex-)lawyer as a witness, but Judge McFadden says no. Judge: 'The motion is denied.’ Says he’ll hear from Fellows, though. He says he thought her testimony would be worth more. Also, FWIW: 'I’m a tiny houser minimalist.'

I’m losing the thread but Fellows appears to claim a man who called himself a constitutional lawyer told him not to turn himself unless told there is a warrant. So he wrapped his phone in foil. ‘I...actually wrapped it in tinfoil because the man told me to wrap it in tinfoil.'

Fellows is now saying he was treated more harshly than protesters at Kavanaugh and Sessions proceedings. This might have traction with McFadden given his view that 2020 protesters were under prosecuted, but is being made almost incoherently, undercutting its impact.

Fellows says he initially resisted drug tests because he doesn’t like ‘peeing in front of a stranger.’ ‘I was not fond of that,’ he said. He also says he’s being denied contacts. (Many jails don’t allow them unless deemed medically necessary.)

Fellows now says he considered contacting McFadden’s family to try to get him off the case, thinking there was a ‘loophole’ that allowed you to get a new judge if you did that. His defense attorney told him not to do that, he said.

Fellows contend police telling him he shouldn’t go past the statues inside Capitol on Jan. 6 amounted to 'entrapment by estoppel'

Judge McFadden denies release. Says Fellows 'probably’ committed obstruction of justice in NY case by trying to force recusal of judge and he admitted to considering obstruction in this case to try to get McFadden off of it by contacting his family