Judge apologises to Donald Trump’s ‘would-be assassin’ for poor treatment
A US magistrate judge offered an apology to the man accused of trying to kill President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, expressing deep unease about his treatment behind bars.
Judge Zia Faruqui told Cole Allen during a hearing in Washington on Monday: "Whatever you've been through, I apologise."
The judge voiced "grave concerns" regarding Allen's incarceration, arguing he had a duty to ensure the accused was "treated with the basic decency of a human being".
Judge Faruqui drew a pointed comparison with those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6 2021, suggesting Allen had received harsher treatment than the rioters despite facing comparable allegations.
The judge said: "I'm fascinated and disturbed."
According to court documents, Allen has been held on suicide watch despite his defence team claiming he has shown no suicidal tendencies across multiple evaluations.
The former tutor is confined to a padded cell in a Washington jail where lights remain on constantly, and he must wear a restrictive vest described as similar to a straitjacket.
His movements are severely limited, with departures from the cell permitted only for legal or medical appointments.
Each time Allen leaves or returns, he is subjected to a strip search.
His lawyers argue that he is also barred from bringing legal documents into his cell, a restriction they say hampers his capacity to participate in preparing his own defence.
Allen's legal representatives contend that keeping him under suicide precautions serves no purpose and breaches his due process rights by stripping him of dignity and denying him access to jail resources.
The defence team argued that his living conditions effectively constitute punishment, though they stopped short of alleging that authorities had deliberately set out to punish their client.
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While acknowledging the gravity of the charges against Allen, who allegedly carried a shotgun, handgun and knives, Judge Faruqui emphasised that detention before trial should not serve as a form of punishment.
The judge instructed the DC Department of Corrections to provide an update on Allen's circumstances by Tuesday.
Prosecutors allege Allen discharged a firearm in a hotel lobby near the dinner venue and possessed a list of senior Trump administration officials ranked by priority.
Jeanine Pirro, who is heading the prosecution against Allen, hit back at the judge's remarks later on Monday.
Ms Pirro said: "Welcome to Washington, DC, where US Magistrate Judge Faruqui believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant."
Allen faces charges including attempting to assassinate the president, transporting firearms and ammunition across state lines, and discharging a weapon during a violent crime.
He has yet to enter a plea to the charges.
The accused has consented to remain in custody after his defence chose not to challenge prosecutors' assertions that he represents a danger.
At his initial court appearance a week earlier, three US marshals escorted and surrounded the defendant throughout the proceedings.
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