A federal judge apologized in court to Cole Tomas Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, citing concerns about how he has been treated in custody.
"I'm sorry," Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui told Allen during a Monday hearing after listening to details about his confinement, according to USA Today.
"Whatever you've been through, I apologize for the prior week," Faruqui added.
The judge pressed a representative from the Washington, D.C., jail about Allen's conditions, including reports that he had been held alone in a cell and denied access to a Bible.
Faruqui ordered the government to provide an update by early Tuesday on where Allen will be housed going forward and said he expects an explanation if more restrictive conditions are imposed.
"This is not the jail's first go-around with people engaged in alleged political violence," Faruqui said, comparing Allen's situation to defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests.
"Pardons may erase convictions, but they do not erase history," he added.
The hearing moved forward even after Allen's lawyers withdrew their request, saying he had been removed from suicide watch.
Faruqui said he still had "grave concerns" about Allen's "seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement."
Court filings from Allen's attorneys said he had been repeatedly cleared as not being a suicide risk but remained under restrictions that limited access to personal items, phone calls, visits, and lighting.
"Finally, 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," the filing stated.
"These conditions are excessive restrictions on his liberty that serve no justifiable purpose and deprive Mr. Allen of dignity while incarcerated," the attorneys wrote.
Allen remains in custody ahead of trial after ending his challenge to pretrial detention on April 30.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11, where prosecutors may present evidence supporting the charges.
Prosecutors say Allen carried out the attempted assassination during an April 25 event at the Washington, D.C., Hilton, where he fired a shotgun toward a stairway leading to a ballroom after rushing through a security checkpoint.
Kari Lake, senior adviser to the United States Agency for Global Media, told Newsmax that the attempted assassination is the latest example of someone being "indoctrinated" by the mainstream media.
Lake, who attended the high-profile event, said the chaotic shooting that forced the evacuation of Trump and top administration leaders reflects an issue fueled by years of hostile media coverage toward conservatives.
Trump was not hurt in the latest attempt on his life.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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