The man who was seen putting his feet on the desk Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the Capitol riot on January 6 had an outburst in federal court on Thursday over his continued detention.
Richard Barnett, allegedly shouted at Judge Christopher R. Cooper during a virtual trial where it was determined he would remain in custody until at least his next trial in May. He shouted at Cooper that it was ‘not fair’ that he stay in jail while others are released, according to Scott MacFarlane of NBC in Washington.
“Everyone who has done much worse things is already at home,” Barnett said. He later added: “I’ve been here a month, they’re going to put it another month, and everyone’s going out.”
Joseph D. McBride, Barnett’s attorney, denied characterization reports that his client’s outburst was aimed at Cooper.
“Mr Barnett’s frustration stems from the fact that he was locked up for pre – trial, despite having no criminal record, being employed for more than twenty years, being respected and being in a stable relationship,” he said. McBride said in a statement to NBC News, “Normally, facts like these are more than enough for an individual to fight their case from the outside.”
McBride added that the lack of personal communication due to coronavirus restrictions that placed the trial prevented him from being able to explain the court proceedings to Barnett.
“The absence of our presence, coupled with Mr Barnett’s inability to immediately grasp the purpose of the forthcoming May 4 postponement, is unfair,” McBride said.
The U.S. District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday’s hearing of NBC News.
Barnett was arrested in January in his home state of Arkansas on federal charges of trespassing and staying on restricted grounds, violent access and theft of public property. He is also charged with disruption of official proceedings, disruptive and disorderly conduct and parade, protest or protest in a Capitol building, according to the court report.
Images of Barnett lying in Pelosi’s chair with his feet on her desk were widely shared and quickly became synonymous with the storm of the American Capitol building. Barnett later spoke to a New York Times reporter, who tweeted about the exchange after the incident in Pelosi’s office.
He told the Times he had picked up an envelope from Pelosi’s desk and left her a quarter of an hour in return, even though “she is not worth it.”
Barnett also claimed he politely knocked on the door to the California Democrat’s office, but was then swept inside by other rioters who violated the Capitol. He said he also left a ‘nasty note’ by using an explicit to refer to Pelosi.
“I’ll probably tell them this is what happened up to the DC jail,” he added.