Jan. 6 rioter allowed to question Secret Service agents at trial in ruling that could impact hundred

[turbinetree]

Full Headline:

Jan. 6 rioter allowed to question Secret Service agents at trial in ruling that could impact hundreds of cases

By Travis Gettys
Published March 18, 2022

A judge will allow an accused Capitol rioter to cross-examine Secret Service agents about precisely where Mike Pence was during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Couy Griffin, the leader of Cowboys for Trump, argues that Pence left Capitol grounds when he was evacuated, and U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden will allow him to question Secret Service agents about the former vice president's location in a bench trial scheduled to start Monday, reported Politico.

“Whether the Vice President was present on the Capitol grounds is … an essential question in Griffin’s prosecution,” ruled McFadden, a Donald Trump appointeee. “[T]o mount a meaningful defense Griffin must be allowed to test the veracity of the Government’s contention that Vice President Pence was on the Capitol grounds during the relevant period.”

https://www.rawstory.com/couy-griffin-2656985872/

So just guess who appointed him, and just guess who voted to have him put on the bench.....

[CurtEastPoint]

1. He was nominated to the court by Donald Rump

[rockfordfile]

16. A corrupt pos

[genxlib]

2. This does not seem to be a winning strategy

"Um your honor, I can't be guilty of threats against a politician who fled in fear of their life"

I don't see how that helps him. If anything, it would just seem to confirm the contemporary concern of violence.

[Ohio Joe]

5. Agreed

I don't see this gaining any of the defendants anything but one more witness whose testimony hurts them.

[exboyfil]

6. But the questioning can lead to means and methods

the SS uses to protect their charges.

The judge is way out of line.

[genxlib]

7. That I agree with

And it wouldn't surprise me if they refused to respond on certain questions.

[Baked Potato]

11. Agreed. It's a National Security issue.

The Gov will probably say the whereabouts of the VP is a “State Secret.”

[exboyfil]

3. Does it matter

He fled because of these maggots. They thought he was there to capture so they had mens rea. Do we really want to know how the SS protects the President and Vice President?

[UTUSN]

13. Word.

[Ray Bruns]

4. Where is the relevance?

[bucolic_frolic]

8. So the absence of your intended victim is exonerating?

So if you rob a bank and the Brinks truck already left with all the cash, you're good to go?

Who knew?

[Ray Bruns]

9. I believe it's called the "Sideshow Bob Defense".

[Samrob]

10. Aren't there videos of Pence at the Capitol during the attack? nt

[LiberalFighter]

12. Need to impeach a bunch of judges appointed by him.

[brooklynite]

14. The man who represents himself has an idiot for a lawyer...

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. This seems to mean the judge doesn't think the Capitol loading dock is on Capitol grounds

From the Politico article this is based on:

“Whether the Vice President was present on the Capitol grounds is … an essential question in Griffin’s prosecution,” McFadden wrote in his Friday order, suggesting Griffin has the right to challenge the Secret Service evidence used against him. “[T]o mount a meaningful defense Griffin must be allowed to test the veracity of the Government’s contention that Vice President Pence was on the Capitol grounds during the relevant period.”
...
Griffin’s team is likely to raise passages from ABC reporter Jonathan Karl’s book “Betrayal,” which described Pence’s evacuation to an underground loading dock. Per Karl, Pence repeatedly refused to get into his motorcade for fear of the visual of him leaving the Capitol amid the chaos. Karl described unpublished pictures of Pence’s departure provided by a photographer that accompanied Pence.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/18/jan-6-trial-where-was-mike-pence-capitol-riot-00018502

And this is not a jury trial - so if the judge is biased and/or an idiot, Griffin gets off.

[newdayneeded]

17. So a guy robs a bank

But, the bank was closed so therefore no charges should be brought.

Like it was stated up thread, I remember Pence in the building. So why allow his stupid questions?