Richard Barnett, who made headlines for a photograph of him posing with his left foot on the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, has been released pending trial after four months in a DC jail.
US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled Tuesday that Barnett does not pose a great danger to society, hence, there is no need for him to stay in jail until the beginning of his trial.
He was ordered to be released to home detention in Arkansas and kept under GPS monitoring, but he might be allowed to go to work, or leave for medical, legal and religious reasons.
The Department of Justice is currently in plea discussions with Barnett, a federal prosecutor said at Tuesday’s bond review hearing, while there hasn’t been an official offer yet. On the other hand, a lawyer representing Barnett told CNN that his client has “zero interest” in a preliminary offer that has been made.
Richard Barnett, the man who was photographed with his feet resting on Nancy Pelosi's desk, has been arrested and charged with three federal counts. West Virginia state legislator Derrick Evans was also charged for his role in storming into the Capitol.https://t.co/77loeTrKVJ
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) January 8, 2021
The 60-year-old is accused of breaking into Pelosi’s office with a stun gun, leaving an insulting note on her desk that read “Hey Nancy, Bigo was here b*atch,” and stealing a piece of her mail. He was arrested soon after January 6 and charged with a felony charge of entering the Capitol with a dangerous weapon, as well as misdemeanor charges of unlawful entry to a restricted building, disorderly conduct and theft. He has been in jail since January.
The chief judge of the District Court in Washington, Beryl Howell, had previously overturned a release order for Barnett that was issued in late January, citing his attendance in the Capitol riot with a weapon and his confidence about his involvement on January 6.