| In DC
Insurrection Case Sandlin Poised for
Release Says Guards Beat Defendant Samsel
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
Podcast Song
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FEDERAL COURT,
April 6 – Minutes
into a break in the
impeachment trial in
the U.S. Senate, accused
insurrectionist Domenic
Pezzola was ordered
detained until
trial by
Magistrate
Judge Robin M.
Meriweather.
Inner City
Press live
tweeted it, below. There
was an appeal.
Now on April 6,
after the DC
Circuit's
decision in US
v. Munchel,
Judge Dabney L. Friedrich held a
length
detention
appeal hearing
on Ronald
Sandlin, during
which the
defendant
alleged that
corrections officers
beat another
January 6
defendant, Ryan Samsel,
so badly he
can no longer
see. More here.
A second
hearing, and
probably
decision, is
set for April
8
at 10 am.
Inner City
Press live tweeted
it, here:
US v. Ronald Sandlin now before DDC
Judge Dabney L. Friedrich - review of
Magistrate's decision in District of Nevada
Assistant US Attorney: Sandlin was born in
Mexico and has citizen there. He owes $500,000
in back taxes here and so the State Department
took away his passport. He met famous
documentarian Dinesh D'Souza... He is risk of
flight and obstruction of justice
AUSA: We understood he took two knives to the
Capitol. We also think he may have been lying
to his mother about leaving a gun with a woman
in Vegas. But he had a pocket gun in the DC
area on the 6th.
Judge: How do you know Mr. Sandlin had a knife
in the Capitol? AUSA: A credible source.
Judge: Who? AUSA: A confidential witness.
Judge: That he and DeGrave communicate through
a third party doesn't necessarily show
obstruction. What is the content, from your
source, or the girlfriend or whatever? Maybe
he was saying sorry, I'm going to plead
guilty.
AUSA: Mr. Sandlin is very savvy.
AUSA: He was using encrypted messaging
apps. With Mr. DeGrave he was discussing
selling their footage of the event. Judge:
What is the relevance, that it show a risk of
flight?
AUSA: Chief Judge Howell in Chrestman said to
consider the lack of remorse.
AUSA: There's a fourth person who traveled
with them to DC who has not been charged, who
Mr. Sandlin could try to influence. Judge: Any
evidence of threats? AUSA: No.
AUSA: He said he has footage of them
praying, that there would not be violence
which would put them in a different light. We
are seeking to get the video from the lawyer's
office, we need approval from a particular
office at Main Justice. Judge: What about
danger?
AUSA: All signs point to him seeing
himself as a modern day revolutionary...
[cites Boogaloo]
Judge: What about him possession firearms?
AUSA: We have no evidence of him carrying guns
in DC. But he went to a hotel in Maryland.
Judge: You're concerned he'll get a book deal
and have a lot of money?
AUSA: He has a big tax burden. Judge:
Defense, can you address the new points she's
raised today. I can prompt you with questions
if you don't remember. Defense: I scribbled
them down.
Defense: He left Mexico as an infant. He has
not connections to Mexico except a birth
mother he hasn't seen in 33 years.
Defense: The government is trying to say
my client deleted videos. But there's no
proof. Judge: Didn't the DOJ brief say after
the New York Post article, he removed the
posts?
AUSA: I'd have to check. In the Facebook
return, there are others on taking down videos
Judge: I take your point, that he may
have taken down the video because he was
getting harassed. My biggest concern is the
potential that he might obstruct justice in
some way. The flight risk could be mitigated.
The Edward Snowden point is an interesting one
Judge: The encrypted messaging concerns me.
Though the Western District of Tennessee could
monitor his computer. Defense: I've
represented child pornographers -- Judge: Mr.
Smith, could you turn up your volume? Defense:
Usually people tell me to turn it down.
Defense: He wasn't loaded for bear. Judge:
What about bringing the weapons?
Defense: They don't even say what kind of
knife. I don't know the source.
Judge: It seems like he bought into Q-Anon. To
what extent can I be assured he's not going to
go something off the wall? Defense: He gave
his mother elaborate instructions on how to
transport a firearm. She's not going to be
party to some fake story.
Judge: From the letters, he seems to
have helped a lot of people, and animals. But
what about the tax debt? Mr. Sandlin is
raising his hand. [Client and defense lawyer
go into break-out room; thread will continue
when they are back.]
Defense: Mr Sandlin tells me he got
behind on taxes due to a risky investment. I'm
still a bit unclear on it. He wants to address
the court, on his state of mind. Sandlin
himself: I was born in Mexico, but I don't
speak Spanish. I have never been a violent
person
Sandlin: If granted pre-trial release I
intend to rebuild by reputation and my
business. I understand the AUSA's job it to
make me seem like Osama bin Laden. I'm not a
flight risk. I could wear an ankle bracelet. I
want this ugly chapter to be over
Sandlin: I have a big fat head that
sticks out in the areas of Memphis. How could
I flee? I would spend my time with chickens.
Monitor my internet. I'm done with politics.
I'm not an activist in exile. I have no
intention to obstruct justice. I'm no John
Gotti.
Sandlin: Recently another January 6
defendant, Ryan Samsel, was beaten
by a Corrections Officer. Now he can't see.
My case manager told me, "Welcome to jail."
Sandlin: This is the first time I've
been allowed out of my cell since Thursday. Me
making this statement is putting me at risk.
The corrections officer are running a regime
of retaliation. I don't understand how this is
acceptable.
Sandlin: I love my country and I do
believe that what I did was shameful. I
believe in the justice system. Judge
Friedrich: Is there a 2d video? Are you
willing to give it up? Defense: There was a
laptop he said to take to his lawyer in Las
Vegas.
Defense: Our thinking was, Let them get
a warrant. AUSA: We are pursuing a
subpoena, Main Justice is considering it.
Defense: I'm the fly in the ointment. Judge:
I'm not pushing that.
Judge: The pre-trial report said he was
smoking marijuana daily. Defense: We'd be OK
with drug testing. Judge: I haven't made up my
mind, but what else, if I were to release him?
AUSA: No communication with witnesses,
including the fourth person he traveled with
Judge: I have heard that i-Phones cannot be
monitored. So if I were to release Mr.
Sandlin, he could not have an i-Phone. Judge:
There is another matter. So I can't speak with
his parents right now. I had a matter
scheduled for Thursday at 10 am. Would that be
OK?
Both lawyer say yes. But what about
Sandlin, given what he's said on the record
about the corrections officers?
Judge: In the meantime, I don't want anything
filed 30 minutes before, but if the government
knows more about the video or the
call... Adjourned.
We will
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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