The Department of Justice appears to be violating the potential limits of the law as it tries to detain people who came to Washington last week for a coup attempt.
A judge is already asking more of the Department of Justice why he should lock up one accused who brought weapons and ammunition to Washington and wrote in text messages about the shooting of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
One of the more serious cases so far against Cleveland Meredith Jr., who is accused of threatening Pelosi and bringing hundreds of ammunition and guns to Washington DC, is where it came up today.
Prosecutors demanded Meredith’s arrest. According to Meredith’s lawyer, according to the law, it is not enough to keep him locked up because of ‘dangerous’ danger.
“Congress has restricted the government’s ability to request detention,” Meredith’s attorney wrote in a court statement Wednesday afternoon, citing the restrictions on the bail reform law the reasons why defendants can be detained should be because is a flight risk, may be obstructive or charged with crimes. of violence, a drug offense or an offense punishable by life imprisonment or death.
His lawyer argued that Meredith should be released pending his trial.
Meredith has not yet been charged, and was arrested last week on a criminal charge alleging that he illegally possessed weapons and made the threats.
He would have a judge decide whether he should be detained today. It is now being postponed until tomorrow, and DOJ gets another opportunity to reason why he should stay in jail.
Meredith is still being held.
He has no previous convictions on his record, his lawyer also claims.