Daily Kos is live inside the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., for the seditious conspiracy trial of Oath Keepers Elmer Stewart Rhodes, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell, and Kelly Meggs. All are accused of attempting to forcibly stop the transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021, from former President Donald Trump to now-President Joe Biden.
With jury selection finished last week, opening statements are set to begin Monday before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. Prosecutors said they expect their initial statement to stretch for roughly 90 minutes as they introduce jurors to the charges and the defendants. Attorneys for the defense have indicated that they expect to spend an hour making an opening statement for Rhodes alone. Co-defendants Watkins, Meggs, and Caldwell are expected to receive roughly 90 combined minutes, and Harrelson has suggested he will reserve his time to start.
For further information about the defendants, check out the Daily Kos guide for a breakdown.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:22:33 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta has denied a motion from Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs to have a bench trial instead of a jury trial. Mehta argues it is inappropriate and especially in light of the fact that Meggs’s co-defendants have not asked for a bench trial. This is denied, Mehta explains, because of disparities that could result in sentencing or information the jury may receive.
With too many hurdles to overcome, the request is shot down within just a few moments.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:29:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta has now denied an eleventh-hour request to change venues after the defendants argued after jury selection last week that it would be impossible to find a fair jury pool.
Going over the jury questionnaire, Mehta notes, only three qualified jurors had ever even heard of the Oath Keepers and “exactly zero” said they had such strong views about the defendants that they would not be able to fairly judge the case.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:41:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Another motion is denied for Oath Keepers and all before jurors even take their seats in the box.
Mehta has denied a request from defendant Kelly Meggs to depose a potential witness for the defense, Colonel John Siemens, at trial. Meggs has argued that Siemens could testify about how he has a history of providing security, effectively supporting his claim that his conduct on Jan. 6 was not seditious but part of the typical fare for Oath Keepers tapped to provide protection details.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:58:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta denied a motion to exclude evidence from trial including a chat log where defendant Kelly Meggs spoke to his wife about wanting to go on a “killing spree” on Election Day 2020. Meggs said the conversation should be kept out because it was protected by martial privilege, but prosecutors said, not so, since Meggs’s son was also in on that chat. Mehta agreed with prosecutors and prosecutors are expected to use a portion of that chat in its opening arguments Monday.
With jury selection finished last week, opening statements are set to begin Monday before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. Prosecutors said they expect their initial statement to stretch for roughly 90 minutes as they introduce jurors to the charges and the defendants. Attorneys for the defense have indicated that they expect to spend an hour making an opening statement for Rhodes alone. Co-defendants Watkins, Meggs, and Caldwell are expected to receive roughly 90 combined minutes, and Harrelson has suggested he will reserve his time to start.
For further information about the defendants, check out the Daily Kos guide for a breakdown.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:22:33 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta has denied a motion from Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs to have a bench trial instead of a jury trial. Mehta argues it is inappropriate and especially in light of the fact that Meggs’s co-defendants have not asked for a bench trial. This is denied, Mehta explains, because of disparities that could result in sentencing or information the jury may receive.
With too many hurdles to overcome, the request is shot down within just a few moments.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:29:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta has now denied an eleventh-hour request to change venues after the defendants argued after jury selection last week that it would be impossible to find a fair jury pool.
Going over the jury questionnaire, Mehta notes, only three qualified jurors had ever even heard of the Oath Keepers and “exactly zero” said they had such strong views about the defendants that they would not be able to fairly judge the case.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:41:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Another motion is denied for Oath Keepers and all before jurors even take their seats in the box.
Mehta has denied a request from defendant Kelly Meggs to depose a potential witness for the defense, Colonel John Siemens, at trial. Meggs has argued that Siemens could testify about how he has a history of providing security, effectively supporting his claim that his conduct on Jan. 6 was not seditious but part of the typical fare for Oath Keepers tapped to provide protection details.
Monday, Oct 3, 2022 · 1:58:58 PM +00:00 · Brandi Buchman
Judge Mehta denied a motion to exclude evidence from trial including a chat log where defendant Kelly Meggs spoke to his wife about wanting to go on a “killing spree” on Election Day 2020. Meggs said the conversation should be kept out because it was protected by martial privilege, but prosecutors said, not so, since Meggs’s son was also in on that chat. Mehta agreed with prosecutors and prosecutors are expected to use a portion of that chat in its opening arguments Monday.