| In DC
Coffman Detained on Molotov Cocktails As
Mostofsky Freed For $100000 Bail in EDNY
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Song
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
FEDERAL COURT,
Jan 12 – Three days
after in the US Capitol among
other things Mark Leffingwell
stuck a Capitol Police officer
repeatedly with a closed fist
(and was freed), an affidavit
was unsealed about still
detained Lonnie Coffman, with
a detention hearing next week.
It says:
..."two US
Capitol Police officers
observed the handle of what
appeared to be a firearm on
the front right passenger seat
of a red GMC Sierra 1500
pickup truck with Alabama
license plate 52HJ703 vehicle
was registered to Lonnie L.
Coffman of Falkville,
Alabama...
Now on
January 12 after a hearing
which Inner City Press live
tweeted, here
and below - and unlike Aaron
Mostofsky freed on $100,000
bail on consent, here,
Coffman was ordered detained
pending trial:
AUSA in DDC: The
defendant is 71 years old, and
could be imprisoned to the end
of his life. He had been
living out of his truck. He
should not be released to
re-arm himself.
Defense lawyer
for Coffman: Looking at his
background, he's never been
convicted of a crime. He's
going to be 71 later this
week. Never failed to appear.
He's a veteran who served in
the Vietnam War, a lifetime
resident of Alabama otherwise.
Defense
lawyer for Coffman: He was
outside of the perimeter. He
wanted to get back to his
truck. Yes, he had two
hand guns on his person.
Defense
lawyer for Coffman: He has a
gun license in Alabama. He has
medical conditions, including
one I'm not going to say on
the record.
Defense
lawyer for Coffman: The jail
is not providing him with the
correct treatment. He should
be released, to stay in
Alabama within 50 miles of his
home - so obviously he would
not come to DC.
AUSA: The
evidence of Mr. Coffman's
guilt on 17 charges is
extensive. He had guns on his
person. He had two sets of
keys to the truck. It's a
camera-heavy area and the
video shows no one else
accessed the truck.
Judge: I
will be detaining you. I don't
believe, Mr. Coffman, that you
are a risk of flight. But I
believe you are a danger.
Judge: You have a
license for guns, suggesting
you are a law abiding citizen
down in Alabama. Nevertheless,
some accusations are so
serious that alone is
sufficient to justify holding
you pending trial. You had 11
destructive devised, Molotov
cocktails
Judge: It is hard
to understand why anyone would
need so much fire-power. When
seen all together, I conclude
your release would pose a
danger to the community. Your
concerns about COVID, I take
them seriously. Yesterday the
jail told me there are 4
positives there
Judge: Last April
there were 100 cases there. So
based on the data, I think
things are successful. If
another outbreak, you could
seek release on an emergency
basis.
More from
the complaint: "the Bomb Squad
responded to the location of
the Red GMC Sierra Pickup
truck. One black handgun was
recovered.. During the search
of the cab of the truck,
officers recovered, among
other things, one M4 Carbine
assault rifle along with rifle
magazines...
"officers
recovered in the bed of the
pickup truck (i) 11 mason jars
containing an unknown liquid
with a golf tee in the top of
each jar, (ii) cloth rags, and
(iii) lighters.... consistent
with components for an
incendiary device known as a
“Molotov Cocktail.” Here's a
summertime Molotov song.
On January 8,
Leffingwell was released to
fly back to him home in
Seattle, no GPS monitor, no
bond.
Inner City Press
covered the case.
U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia
Magistrate Judge G. Michael
Harvey held the detention, or
really non-detention,
proceeding. Inner City Press
live tweeted it here:
(then, song here)
Now in Federal
Court in DC, hearing of
detained Mark Jefferson
LEFFINGWELL who "attempted to
push past me and other
officers. When he was deterred
from advancing further into
the building, LEFFINGWELL
punched me repeatedly with a
closed fist."
Assistant US
Attorney is *not* asking for
detention . He'll be allowed
to travel back home to
Seattle.
AUSA: We'll
be requesting strict
conditions... A stay-away from
DC... A curfew. Judge:
You say he works. What is it?
Lawyer: A packaging plant
called Panacea in Everett,
Washington. 30 to 40 hours a
week.
From the
complaint: "I was struck in
the helmet that I was wearing
and in the chest. Working with
other officers, I was able to
gain control over LEFFINGWELL,
who attempted to struggle
while being detained. I
transported LEFFINGWELL to US
Capitol Police HQ."
Judge Harvey:
Believe it or not, I have a
lot of these case. Pre-Trial
should find out about GPS in
the Districts where these
folks come from. I released
someone else yesterday.
Defense: GPS is not necessary.
He has 2 children.
Defense: He wants
to go to church on the
weekend. No need to be on a
GPS. We'll take a stay away.
He's never been to DC before.
Mrs. Leffingwell:
I'm an insurance agent. We
have a son, Noah, and
Nicholas. Judge: I am going to
release Mr. Leffingwell.
Judge: You can
turn in your guns to a police
station. You must call
pre-trial once a week and keep
working [at the packaging
plant.] Stay away from DC
except for court. Our
proceedings will be remote,
you probably won't have to
come.
Judge
Harvey: I don't see the point
of putting him on a curfew if
we're not going to do GPS.
Defense: He needs his ID to
fly back to Seattle.
AUSA: We have
nothing.
Defense: He
passed his phone to one of his
friends. I think they have his
license.
AUSA: A third
party? I can look for it.
Which agency.
Defense: He was
brought to 1-D-1, next to the
baseball field, then the cell
block.
Judge Harvey: I
am going to release Mr
Leffingwell. He must stay away
from Washington DC. [That
seems to be the main focus]
Judge Harvey:
You'll have to Zoom in to the
preliminary hearing... We've
got the phone number, no
worries, Mr. Leffingwell.
Song on SoundCloud here.
***
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