Actor charged in Capitol riot almost talked way into staying in jail
WASHINGTON - An actor charged with storming the U.S. Capitol as a member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group nearly talked his way into remaining in jail after a judge heard on Monday that the Florida man was challenging the court's authority over him.
A prosecutor said he wasn't planning to seek pretrial detention for James Beeks of Orlando, Florida, until learning in court that the actor didn’t accept the court’s jurisdiction over him.
Beeks, who has performed in a traveling production of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" and as a Michael Jackson impersonator, initially rejected being represented by an attorney and made comments that the judge called "gobbledygook."
"A defendant who rejects the jurisdiction of the court, rejects being subject to the laws of the United States, rejects the rule of law is not typically released pretrial because that person cannot be trusted to comply with the conditions of pretrial release," Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell warned Beeks during a hearing in federal court in Washington, D.C.
The production company that employs Beeks said he recently informed the company that he is a "sovereign citizen," according to prosecutors. During Monday's hearing, Beeks denied being part of the "sovereign citizen" extremist movement, which believes the U.S. government is illegitimate.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
His chances of being released from jail seemed to wane as he offered answers that the judge said she couldn’t understand. Then another lawyer, Michelle Peterson, intervened for Beeks.
Beeks then let Petersen represent him and was ordered released from jail after agreeing to follow the court-imposed conditions of release, such as agreeing to GPS monitoring, not possessing a gun and not having any contact with members of the Oath Keepers.
Beeks was arrested in Milwaukee last Tuesday. He hasn’t yet entered a plea to a felony charge of obstruction of Congress and a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds.
Authorities say Beeks, who went into the Capitol wearing a jacket from Michael Jackson’s "BAD" world tour, was a member of the Oath Keepers and had paid membership dues to the group two weeks before the riot.
Since Jan. 6, more than 650 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, officials said.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
A few other defendants charged in the Capitol riot have espoused ideologies and expressed rhetoric that appear to comport with the "sovereign citizens" movement.
In September, a different federal judge in Washington jailed self-represented defendant Pauline Bauer for failing to comply with court orders to cooperate with probation officers during her pretrial release. Bauer, who owns a restaurant in rural Kane, Pennsylvania, has repeatedly interrupted the judge during hearings and has argued in vain that the court doesn’t have any jurisdiction over her.
Featured
2 Whitefish Bay police pursuits; 3 in custody, 1 vehicle reported stolen
Three people were taken into custody Monday, Nov. 29 following two police pursuits in Whitefish Bay.
Featured
Waukesha parade tragedy: Pickup center for missing items closes Monday
If you had items left at the scene such as chairs and blankets, they will be available for pick up at the Park, Recreation, and Forestry Department.