The Capitol rioter who placed his feet on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk had an outburst in federal court during his hearing on Thursday (March 4).
According to NBC News, Richard Barnett yelled at Judge Christopher R. Cooper during his virtual hearing where it was ruled that he would remind behind bars until his next hearing in May. He screamed that it was “not fair” that he had to stay in jail while other rioters were released.
“Everybody else who did things much worse are already home,” Barnett said. He added, “I’ve been here for a month, they’re going to set it for another month, and everybody else is getting out.”
Joseph D. McBride, Barnett’s lawyer, denied that his client’s tantrum was directed at the judge. “Mr. Barnett’s frustration stems from the fact that he is incarcerated pre-trial, despite lacking any criminal history, being gainfully employed, respected in his community and in a stable relationship for over 20 years,” McBride said. “Normally, facts like these are more than enough for an individual to fight their case from the outside.”
“The absence of our presence, in conjunction with Mr. Barnett’s inability to immediately understand the purpose of the forthcoming May 4th adjournment, is what he believed to be unfair,” he added.
Barnett is facing several charges, including unlawfully entering a restricted area with a weapon, theft of public property and violent entry. Back in January, he was taken into custody in his home state of Arkansas after several images circulated of him inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Photos of the 60-year-old inside Pelosi’s office went viral on social media. He had his feet kicked up on her desk and he also left a threatening note on one of her folders, which read, “WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN.”
After exiting the Capitol building, Barnett was later seen outside holding an envelope that he had taken from Pelosi’s office. In a video, he bragged about taking the mail, but claims he didn’t steal it. “I left a quarter on her desk,” he told a news outlet.