Attorneys in Capitol riot case seek trial delay

Feb. 17—Federal prosecutors and the attorneys for a half dozen members of a far-right militia group, including a Thomasville woman, say there is no way for either side to be ready for a trial in April on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and storming of the U.S. Capitol.

The trial for Laura Lee Steele of Thomasville and five other members of the Oath Keepers currently is set for April 19 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In past court hearings, Judge Amit Mehta has expressed reluctance to postpone it because the sheer number of Jan. 6 cases and the current COVID-19-related restrictions on the federal courthouse mean any delay will be a long one. In a hearing three weeks ago, Mehta said the next two available trial dates were in July and September.

But in a joint filing with prosecutors on Tuesday, defense attorneys say their clients' right to a speedy trial is outweighed by the need to review the towering mountain of evidence that investigators have compiled related to Jan. 6.

"Indeed, because of the historic nature of this case, the public's interest in a speedy trial must not overshadow the interest of the public, the parties, and the Court in making sure that this case is tried fairly and well," the filing says.

Prosecutors contend that members of the Oath Keepers planned and executed a coordinated assault on the building to try to keep Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Steele, a former High Point Police Department officer, faces seven charges, though according to court papers she joined the group just a short time before Jan. 6.

Evidence collected in the overall investigation of Jan. 6 includes tens of thousands of hours of surveillance video and body-worn police camera footage; tens of thousands of tips provided to the FBI and local police departments; hundreds of thousands of FBI reports; and data from thousands of digital devices and digital accounts of the more than 700 people who have been charged so far.

While some of the evidence was made available to the defense attorneys months ago, the filing says, much was not, including evidence connected to some of the 11 Oath Keepers members who last month became the first people charged with the much more serious felony of seditious conspiracy — essentially, inciting a rebellion against the government.

"Because the defendants stand charged with conspiring not only with each other but with defendants charged in ... (other cases), as well as other uncharged subjects referenced in the discovery materials, this is not a case where defense counsel can ignore materials that, on their face, apply primarily to another defendant," the filing says.

Mehta could rule on the request at a status hearing currently scheduled for March 4, or he could seek an expedited hearing next week.