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Local Man Identified in Images from Scene at Capitol

Adam Johnson, aka “Lectern Guy”, has quickly become internet infamous.  For those not familiar, Mr. Johnson, was not only one of the people who took part in last weeks riots, but he is also the one who posed with Speaker Pelosi’s lectern.

            According to the Statement of Facts Mr. Johnson was identified in the picture as being in the rotunda of the Capital building.  According to the Speaker’s staff, the lectern was stored in the Speaker’s Suite before the riots began.  Fortunately, the lectern was found on the Senate side of the capital and was not being sold on eBay as some places had reported.

            On January 6, 2021, Mr. Johnson may have made the worst decision of his life, however, he seems to have been making wiser decisions since then by hiring two high-powered local criminal defense attorneys, David Bigney and Dan Eckhart.

            While Mr. Johnson’s case is being prosecuted in the DC Circuit, he will appear today in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa and will be in front of Judge Christopher P. Tuite.  Johnson is currently incarcerated and in the custody of the US Marshals, but he will be transported to court for the hearing.  Mr. Johnson will be told the charges he is currently facing and perhaps most importantly his continued incarceration will be discussed.

            The US government may seek detention in which case the Federal Magistrate will determine if they feel that pretrial release is appropriate or if Mr. Johnson will continue to be detained.  Alternatively, the Magistrate could rule that Mr. Johnson will remain in custody until the Judge in DC make a ruling on continued detention.

            The Court may consider detention if they consider Mr. Johnson to be a flight risk, if they feel that he is a danger to the community, or if the Judge determines that no condition of release will reasonably assure the appearance of Mr. Johnson.  

            Should the Judge determine that release is appropriate, they have a number of conditions that could be imposed as a condition of release.  They include:

  • Electronic monitoring
  • Travel restrictions
  • Curfew
  • A prohibition on possession of a firearm or other weapon
  • A prohibition on the use of drugs or alcohol
  • A monetary bond
  • A restriction on communication with certain people
  • A restriction on accessing Social Media or Internet Forums

Updates Coming Soon

Today will be interesting for Mr. Johnson and a number of questions will need to be answered.  Will the Government agree to release or seek detention?  Will the Judge go along with the request for release or continued incarceration?  Will the government give us some insight into what Mr. Johnson’s role was on January 6?  Was he present when the Capital was initially breached or did enter later on?  Is he alleged to have caused any destruction?  Was he the one who took the Speaker’s lectern?

We will follow up on the case after the 2pm initial appearance

Author Photo

Andrew Moses

Andrew has been practicing criminal law his entire career. After graduating from law school he began working as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting cases in Orange and Osceola Counties. During his time as an Assistant State Attorney, Andrew handled all types of cases ranging from misdemeanors to such serious felonies as drug trafficking and armed robbery. His experience as a prosecutor helped him gain perspective of the criminal justice system and how the government established its cases.

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