Thread by @MacFarlaneNews

HAPPENING NOW: Court hearing for Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who is seeking release from jail to home detention, arguing substandard health conditions in DC jail

Tarrio is serving 5 months for stealing/burning BLM flag from DC church in late 2020

Tarrio is being held in a northeast unit in the Washington DC jail's Central Detention Facility, which is a unit for "protective" housing... to keep inmates away from general population

He's in cell 69, per attorney at hearing

Tarrio claims his cell has been impacted by standing sewage and smoke. Multiple defendants seeking release from DC jail have been citing a recent US Marshals inspection which found substandard conditions and medical care in DC's Central Detention Facility

Government attorney acknowledges there was a sewage leak inside the Central Detention Facility on November 6

!! Government attorney argues some inmates have sabotaged their own toilets in protest. Attorney said that happened with the inmate in cell next to Tarrio's recently. Attorney called the inmate in neighboring cell a "habitual flooder"

Tarrio argues the water has been turned off in his jail cell

Government attorney argues the water might be turned off (for short period of time) in response to the neighboring inmate's "habitual flooding" of toilet

Tarrio arrived to begin serving his five-month sentence on Sept 6. He's only two months into his sentence

Government attorney: "(Tarrio) has been seen by medical, mental health and psychiatry" to ensure his well-being

Tarrio complains of smoke in his cell.

Government attorney said inmates burn toilet paper. Government says Tarrio's cell has no more smoke than the others

Govt attorney said Tarrio has "abused the grievance process" ... and the sick call process

He's filed grievances Sept 20, Oct 1, Oct 6. Three of them within the first month of his five month sentence

Tarrio is now appearing, virtually. Wearing orange jail jumpsuit and blue paper mask

Defense lawyer is urging court to let Tarrio speak about conditions in jail... under oath

Standby

But hold on:

Judge says even if Tarrio's account is fully true, it doesn't necessarily constitute an 8th amendment violation. Judge says he doesn't see how Tarrio's situation is any different than all of the other inmates. & that home detention doesn't seem like proper remedy

Defense says "Living in a cell with no sheets and feces floating past you, is unacceptable... it'd be mind-boggling that your honor wouldn't help us (with our motion)"

Judge: "I'm not deciding one way or another who's right and who's wrong... because doing that is a much lengthier process" He says an evidentiary hearing would be needed on Tarrio's claims about DC jail

!!! Judge: "How is Mr. Tarrio's situation different than any other inmate or detainee at the jail?"

Tarrio wants to answer that question. Judge interjects.. and says that question is for the attorneys

Tarrio's lawyer keeps arguing the jail's conditions are worse than when Tarrio was sentenced

We've been covering complaints about the DC jail for many years.

Judge says there've been concerns about jail ("far from perfect") for quite awhile

Judge: "Lots of people get sentences to the DC jail. Lots of people get held their pretrial."

Judge (channeling the voices of generations of DC criminal justice reform advocates) said the jail has been source of complaints and consent decrees before

Tarrio: "There are feces in my room right now"

(I'll admit I've never heard that said in a court proceeding before)

Govt attorney says US Marshals inspector arrived at jail on Friday ... will prepare a report about steps/progress made to fix conditions at jail

"We've tightened up our protocols" with dealing with inmates who sabotage their cells

Tarrio has complained about temperature of his food, per jail attorney

Jail says they're looking into "food warmers" and food vendors to address that complaint

Defense lawyer is insisting Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio be given a chance to speak

STANDBY

Tarrio with a very full-grown beard, takes off his blue paper mask. Raises his hand and prepares to be sworn-in

Tarrio, a leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty to stealing & burning a BLM banner from a DC church

He's about to testify about jail conditions

Tarrio says his cell was flooded with feces at 430am.
"For the past four days, I've had feces in my cell..."

Tarrio: "I have to clean other people's feces off the ground with my own toilet paper"

Tarrio says his medical requests are going unanswered. He's hold up an envelope full of his grievances

Tarrio: "I'm deathly afraid something is going to happen to me" .. and help won't come

Tarrio says when he pleaded guilty and agreed to take jail sentence.. "I didn't expect this" "This place needs to be shut down immediately"

I'd refer Enrique Tarrio & defense to our *years* of reporting on DC jail conditions
nbcwashington.com/news/local/for…

nbcwashington.com/news/local/mor…

nbcwashington.com/news/local/jud…

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio calls the DC jail a "gulag"

DC attorney questions Tarrio's credibility

Judge says he will not rule right now on Tarrio's request for compassionate release. Likely ruling within the next week

But judge was unequivocal throughout this hearing that he doesn't see why Tarrio's case is any different than all other inmates in the jail

@cjciaramella @ricknbc @DebGoldenDC and others too