Federal judge's order demands answers from Springfield man convicted in Jan. 6 breach

The federal judge in the case of a Springfield man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. entered a "minute order" Friday, citing a State Journal-Register article posted Wednesday.

Judge Amit P. Mehta signed the legal document giving Thomas B. Adams Jr. until Feb. 10 to answer "why the court should not vacate" his conviction in light of statements he made to the newspaper.

Adams, 41, was found guilty and convicted Tuesday at a stipulated bench trial in Washington of obstructing an official proceeding and aiding and abetting others in committing obstruction of an official proceeding, both felonies, and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, a misdemeanor.

More:'I wouldn't change anything I did:' Springfield man convicted in breach of U.S. Capitol

Outside of his home Wednesday, Adams, who is out on his own recognizance, told The SJ-R, "I wouldn't change anything I did" in reference to his part in the breach.

"I didn't do anything. I still to this day, even though I had to admit guilt (in the stipulation of charges), don't feel like I did what the charge is."

It was unclear how the judge became aware of The SJ-R article.

A "minute order," is usually an unpublished order by a trial court that advises the parties as to result and reasoning, said University of Illinois College of Law professor Vikram David Amar.

Adams' sentencing hearing for June 16. Adams faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge, plus financial penalties of up to $250,000.

Adams was represented by federal public defender Diane Shrewsbury. The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Before the trial, Adams stipulated under oath a number of facts that the judge ultimately determined him guilty.

Adams traveled to Washington with Roy Nelson Franklin, 67, also of Springfield, to attend then-President Donald Trump's speech the morning of Jan. 6. Adams said he didn't believe in the legitimacy of the outcome of the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden.

Members of Congress were meeting in separate chambers of the Capitol that morning to certify the vote count of the Electoral College.

Adams admitted to walking to the Capitol and entering the Senate chamber after Trump's talk. There he videotaped the scene and later confirmed to an FBI agent that he was the person in a photograph holding a Trump flag.

While describing a carnival atmosphere to a reporter from the news site Insider in the aftermath of the breach, Adams said he didn't realize the escalation of violence until much later when he started watching the news.

Franklin's case is pending.

An Auburn man, Shane Jason Woods, who pleaded guilty in federal court in September to assaulting a law enforcement officer among other charges during the breach, was charged with first-degree murder on Nov. 16 for his part in a fatal wrong-way collision on Interstate 55 near Springfield on Nov. 8. One person was killed and three others injured, including Woods.

Close to 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the Capitol breach.

Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: A federal judge wants answers from a Springfield man convicted in Jan. 6 breach