A federal magistrate judge says the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is being held under conditions he's never seen before. At a Monday hearing, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui sharply criticized the Washington, DC, jail for keeping Cole Allen on extreme lockdown, including a stint on suicide watch in a constantly lit padded cell with no phone, books, religious material, or recreation—steps the judge said lacked a clear medical basis and appeared punitive, Politico reports.
Faruqui, who handled hundreds of Jan. 6 cases, said Allen is being treated more harshly than Capitol riot defendants also accused of political violence, who were moved to a less restrictive part of the jail, the Central Treatment Facility, and received various accommodations. "The Jan. 6 defendants all were moved to the CTF," Faruqui said. In what CNN describes as a shot at Trump's mass pardons, he added, "Pardons may erase convictions but they do not erase history. Allen is "being treated differently than anyone I've ever observed,' Faruqui said, stressing Allen's presumed innocence and lack of criminal record and ordering jail officials to report back on easing his conditions.
Jail officials argued the measures were about safety, citing Allen's statement to the FBI that he didn't expect to survive the alleged attack. Faruqui said medical staff disagreed he was suicidal and warned that if the jail cannot ensure both safety and dignity, federal authorities may need to move Allen elsewhere. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm said Allen had requested a Bible and a visit from a chaplain but hadn't received either, the AP reports. "If we can get someone vegan food, we can get you a Bible," the judge said. He concluded the hearing with an apology to Allen, reports CNN. "I'm sorry," the judge said. "Whatever you've been through, I apologize for that now."
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