A U.S. judge apologized on Monday to the man accused of a failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump and other top officials during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, appointed by a panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in September 2020, added that he was disturbed by the “legally deficient” treatment suspect Cole Allen has faced.
Faruqui further added that Allen’s conditions were inappropriate for an individual with no prior criminal history.
“Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize,” Faruqui said during the Monday hearing.
Upon Allen’s initial booking into a Washington, jail, he was placed on suicide watch.
Lawyers for Allen said in court filings that he’s been separated from other inmates, denied a Bible, and placed in a padded room 23 hours a day.
Faruqui said during the hearing he is obligated to ensure Allen is “treated with the basic decency of a human being.”
“Right now, it’s not working. It’s insufficient. I think it’s legally deficient,” Faruqui said about Allen’s confinement.
Although the charges against the 31-year-old from Los Angeles are serious, the judge noted, his pretrial detention should not be a punishment.
During the Monday hearing, Faruqui ordered a lawyer for the jail to notify him by Tuesday at 9 a.m. with a final decision on the terms of Allen’s detainment.
Video surveillance from outside the gala showed a man sprinting through a hotel security checkpoint with a shotgun. Allen allegedly shot one federal agent.
He was subdued by the Secret Service before he could reach the main ballroom, where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other senior officials, and hundreds of guests were in attendance, including staff members of The Epoch Times.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine previously said that Allen told federal agents after his arrest at the press event that he did not expect to survive the failed attack.
He was placed on suicide watch and suicide precautions, with authorities placing him in a “safe cell,” described as a padded room with 24/7 lockdown procedures and constant lighting.
Inmates in a safe cell are also required to wear a vest akin to a straitjacket.
Allen’s lawyers said in court filings that his treatment “amounts to punishment” and “violations of his rights.”
“Mr. Allen is forced to be escorted to the shower, strip searched when entering and exiting his cell, and wear a padded vest while inside,” filings read.
“These conditions are excessive restrictions on his liberty that serve no justifiable purpose and deprive Mr. Allen of dignity while incarcerated.”
The lawyers further claim a member of the Department of Corrections intake team did not note any suicide risk factors, but records show a nurse recommended a day after Allen’s booking that he be placed on suicide watch.
His lawyers said this meant Allen could not make phone calls, have personal items or a jail tablet, receive visits aside from his legal team, or spend time outside his cell except for showers and visits with his lawyers.
On May 1, a nurse recommended he be taken off suicide watch or precaution.
Allen challenged his detention last week, arguing he is not a flight risk, but later dropped the request.
His charges include attempted assassination of the president, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines.
As of Monday evening, Allen has not yet entered a plea.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
