Gorbey takes stand, says ‘gun’ was just a stick

Alleged gunman Michael Gorbey, testifying in his own defense Tuesday, said he was carrying a walking stick and not a shotgun at the time of his arrest.

Gorbey took the stand for about 30 minutes, writing out his own questions for stand-in counsel Eugene Ohm to ask him. He is scheduled to testify again Wednesday.

{mosads}Aside from his own testimony, Gorbey also questioned a U.S. Capitol Police officer and his own sister, Evelyn Hooper.

Prosecutors again raised more than 60 objections.

At one point, presiding Judge Gregory Jackson dismissed the jury and confronted Gorbey, as he has done in the past, saying Gorbey needed to stay on topic. Jackson said he understood that Gorbey, who is representing himself, does not have formal legal training, but added that he was running out of patience.

“There’s a limit, Mr. Gorbey,” Jackson said. “And quite honestly, you’ve probably passed the limit.”

Gorbey again said Jackson was unfit to hear the case because he had already decided the outcome.

“You should recuse yourself,” Gorbey said to Jackson in D.C. Superior Court, “because you yourself think I’m guilty of the charges.”

At one point in the trial, Jackson and the prosecutors said Gorbey asked the U.S. Marshals serving as security for the case how he could get a mistrial.

“Mr. Gorbey said to one of the Marshals something to the effect of, ‘What do I have to do to get a mistrial?’ ” said Jackson.

There has been a great deal of media attention focused on the case. During a court break, an assistant U. S. attorney remarked to a spectator: “Welcome to the circus. … Did you bring some popcorn and a hat?”

Gorbey was arrested more than three months ago for allegedly carrying a loaded shotgun on Capitol Hill. He has maintained his innocence since that time and argues the government is trying to frame him for crimes he did not commit.

He also has attempted to raise issues of past lawsuits and events that he says will prove his theory that he is being conspired against, but has been continually met with objections from the assistant U.S. attorneys prosecuting the case.

“They’ve [law enforcement agencies] planted evidence on me before,” said Gorbey. “They’ve planted firearms on me before.

“The FBI probably convinced half of the people [testifying against me] to say what they’re saying,” he said later.

Gorbey also raised objections after the government introduced evidence that it previously said it would not enter.

The government defended itself, saying that it had not planned to introduce the evidence, but because witnesses mentioned several items, such as a tobacco pouch and a set of keys, it was compelled to introduce them to the jury to clarify exactly what the witnesses were talking about.

Gorbey objected and asked for a mistrial, as standby counsel Ohm had done last week after a witness mentioned an unidentified woman who said Gorbey asked her for directions to the Supreme Court on the day of his arrest.

Jackson denied the mistrial request Tuesday as he had last Wednesday.