(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Some three years ago, the Justice Department charged Kansas man William Pope with eight crimes in relation to his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protest.
Since then, Pope has been representing himself in court—and, judging by recent filings, he’s giving the DOJ’s lawyers all they can handle.
Indeed, the DOJ informed the presiding judge on Monday that it won’t be prosecuting two of the charges against Pope: impeding ingress and egress in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings.
The DOJ’s move to dismiss follows a motion Pope filed in March for more information about the crimes he’s been accused of committing. The DOJ never explained to Pope which particular officers he impeded, what he did to impede anyone, and whose ingress or egress was impeded.
Rather than providing Pope with more specifics, the DOJ is dropping two of the charges after more than three years.
The government moved to dismiss two of my charges rather than provide particulars as ordered by the Court, an admission their indictment was a sham! For three years, I was charged with these counts, but the government had no facts to back it up!
Un-American government extremism!
— 🇺🇸 (@FreeStateWill) May 14, 2024
“The government moved to dismiss two of my charges rather than provide particulars as ordered by the Court, an admission their indictment was a sham! For three years, I was charged with these counts, but the government had no facts to back it up!” Pope announced on Twitter. “Un-American government extremism!”
But Pope isn’t satisfied with the DOJ just dropping two charges. On Monday, he filed a motion to have the “parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building” charged dropped against him, also on the grounds that the DOJ hasn’t provided him with specifics about that alleged crime.
“Since at this late hour I still have not been informed about the nature of these accusations against me, and since I am now deprived of the opportunity to confront these accusations with pre-trial motions, I move that these three charges be dismissed,” Pope said in that motion.
“Furthermore, the government has just tonight moved for Counts Five and Seven to be dismissed. I support the government’s proposed dismissal with my only criticism being that they should have dropped more!”
Pope has several other outstanding motions to dismiss charges against him, including one explaining how he’s a journalist who was reporting on Jan. 6.
His trial is currently set for July.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
