The man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump received an apology from a judge, who suggested he was not being treated with “basic decency”. The Telegraph has more.
Zia Faruqui, a US magistrate judge, claimed Cole Allen had been treated worse than the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th 2021, despite being accused of similar conduct.
“Whatever you’ve been through, I apologise,” Judge Faruqui told Allen on Monday at a court appearance in the US capital.
His comments provoked anger from the Trump administration, with a close ally of the US President saying the judge was seeking “preferential treatment” for the alleged gunman.
Allen, who was arrested after storming a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25th, has been kept on suicide watch despite repeatedly displaying no suicidal tendencies in evaluations, his defence team claims.
The 31 year-old – accused of a premeditated attack on Trump and others – is being kept in a padded cell in a Washington jail which is constantly lit, and must wear a vest “akin to a straitjacket”, according to court documents. He cannot leave except for legal or medical visits, and when he does so must be strip-searched on entry and exit.
Allen also cannot bring legal papers into the room, which his lawyers say impedes his ability to assist his own defence.
“Continued housing under suicide precautions is unnecessary and violates Allen’s due process rights by depriving him of dignity and access to resources inside the jail,” his lawyers argued.
The alleged would-be assassin’s living conditions “amount to punishment”, they said, but stopped short of claiming authorities had an “expressed intent to punish Mr Allen”.
Judge Faruqui said he had “grave concerns” about Allen’s jailing and said he had an obligation to ensure he was “treated with the basic decency of a human being”.
He noted the seriousness of the charges against Allen, who was said to have been armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives, but said pre-trial detention was not meant to be punitive.
Prosecutors say Allen opened fire in a hotel lobby outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and had a target list of top Trump administration officials prioritised according to seniority.
Judge Faruqui argued that the individuals who stormed the US Capitol on January 6th 2021 to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory had been treated better than Allen, despite being accused of similar crimes.
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I keep saying it.
If you are acting outside the law, then you should not expect the protection of the law in return.
I think the clue is in the judges name. WTF is the world coming to when a judge apologises to a would be murderer of a democratically elected president of the USA.
The judge should be disbarred as clearly he is unfit to hold office.
Nobody seemed to care much about suicide watch when Jeffrey Epstein was banged up. And what’s the similarity between politically motivated, trumped up charges re’ the Capitol Hill farrago and being caught bang to rights in an assassination attempt on the Pres’?
Cole Allen was clearly bent on suicide. If he had got any further I’m sure he would have been killed to stop him. Why would people assume he is not suicidal now? He was clearly trying to make a point and was willing to die trying. If he managed to commit suicide now he’s in jail can you imagine the conspiracy theories that would erupt? I’m sure that has occurred to him and might be motivation enough for him to try. The only solution is to keep him on suicide watch and record his every move until he faces the court.
Edited for spelgn.
Whut? The Capitol rioters were accused of ‘similar crimes’? WTF is Cole Allen charged with? Riot or attempted murder?
Attempt to Assassinate the President of the United States- Transportation of a Firearm & Ammunition in Interstate Commerce with Intent to Commit a Felony- Discharge of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence
dl
Many thanks.
I rather dislike a distinction between the words ‘assassinate’ and ‘murder’. Assassinate has connotations of some sort of justification behind it (at least in my mind).
eg Charlie Kirk was murdered – don’t call it assassinated.
That’s a very good point
Yes, the word “assassin” has its roots in an Islamic sect, the name being a corruption of “hash users”. Explains everything, perhaps. (But of course we dare not criticise the “religion of peace”).
Master Allen was attempting a mostly peaceful assassination.
Judge “Zia Faruqui”.
All you need to know about the “why” in two words