Oath Keepers Leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes In Court On Seditious Conspiracy Charges In January 6 Attack
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - On February 16, the man facing what is believed to be the most serious charge in connection with the January 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C. will return to court.
Elmer Stewart Rhodes is the founder of the "Oath Keepers," a far-right militia group, and has been charged with seditious conspiracy for his alleged role in the attack.
Ten others received the same charge.
Today is a detention hearing in which he is seeking his release from jail ahead of his trial this summer.
The defense must prove to prosecutors that he is not dangerous or a flight risk.
CBS News reports that on Wednesday his defense lawyers are expected to argue that Rhodes was only at the Capitol to offer some security and only went inside upon hearing someone was shot and needed medical attention. Though the report adds that timeline may not check out.
"They truly believed, and this will come out at trial, that they were there doing security work for different speakers who were supposed to speak that day," said defense attorney Phillip Linder.
"If y'all are aware, as you are, when different conservative speakers go to liberal college campuses in the last years, they get attacked. Oath Keepers is one of the groups that you can call them up and say 'hey I'm going to speak at an event, I need some protection.'"
Rhodes, who is being held in a federal prison in Oklahoma, will appear virtually on Wednesday.
