Judge Apologizes to Suspect in Trump Assassination Attempt at Correspondents' Dinner
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A federal judge pressed a jail official on Monday to explain why the man accused of attempting to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and assassinate President Donald Trump was placed under strict suicide watch following his arrest. Washington D.C. jail authorities removed Cole Tomas Allen from his designated 'suicide risk' status over the weekend after his lawyers complained he had been unnecessarily confined in a padded room with constant lighting, subjected to repeated strip searches, and placed under restrictions outside his cell. However, the easing of conditions did not alleviate the concerns of Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, who fears Allen has received unequal and punitive treatment in violation of his due process rights. During a hearing, Faruqui criticized the general counsel of the D.C. Department of Corrections, calling Allen's confinement 'disturbing.' Faruqui noted that the D.C. jail routinely houses convicted murderers and other accused violent offenders without subjecting them to 24-hour lockdown. 'That could drive a person crazy in that situation,' he said. Faruqui directly apologized to Allen for the conditions of his confinement, stating, 'I am deeply concerned about what the conditions you have been subjected to indicate... I’m sorry. It sounds like things have not been as they should be... Whatever has happened, I apologize.' He added that Allen posed a much lower threat to jail security than those charged in the January 6 incident.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
