Judge Royce Lamberth said that Jacob Chansley has no regrets and can plot further attacks against the United States government if he is placed under house arrest. He rebuked Chansley for showing “a departure from reality”, claiming that his actions on January 6 were peaceful and harmless.
“The defendant is characterized as a peaceful person who was received at the Capitol building on January 6 by police officers. The Court does not consider convincing any of its many attempts to manipulate the evidence and minimize the seriousness of its actions, ”wrote Lamberth.
Chansley asked the judge to release him from prison in recent weeks, in a series of moves that caught his attention and that of his lawyer. Lamberth’s decision on Monday rejected several of Chansley’s arguments, but was basically based on the fact that Chansley carried a spear on January 6.
Chansley’s lawyer argued that it was a mast, but Lamberth determined it was clearly a dangerous weapon.
Lamberth’s 32-page opinion methodically dismantled most of Chansley’s arguments and supported the Justice Department’s request to keep Chansley behind bars until trial. The judge used Chansley’s words against him, including his recent prison interview, which appears to have backfired.
“The statements the defendant made to the prison public show that the defendant does not fully assess the seriousness of the charges against him,” wrote Lamberth. “On the contrary, he believes that he – not the American people or members of Congress – was the victim on January 6.”
Chansley is not charged with attacking anyone, but the Justice Department says his behavior during the insurrection makes him too dangerous to be released. He was a well-known figure in the QAnon conspiracy community – one of the many QAnon believers who were accused in the Capitol riot.
He pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge.
Lamberth also said he was not persuaded by Chansley’s attempts to argue that the spear he brought to Capitol was not a weapon. The dangerousness of the item was an important point of contention as to whether he would be arrested before the trial, regarding the violent nature of the charges he faces.
“A six-foot pole with a metal spear tip attached to the top is undoubtedly a dangerous weapon,” wrote Lamberth, agreeing with the Justice Department’s view of the weapon.