Judge allows Capitol riot suspect to remain free on bond ahead of wedding celebration

A federal judge is allowing a Capitol riot suspect to remain free on bond ahead of his wedding celebration, which is set to take place next month.

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Carl Nichols said Joshua Doolin, 23, who was indicted in July on charges relating to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, can remain free on bond in the time leading up to his wedding celebration in Lakeland, Fla., on Jan. 4, according to The Ledger.

Federal prosecutor Matt Moeder had requested that Doolin’s bond be revoked and that he remain in jail until his trial, pointing to a search the FBI completed earlier in the month when agents found a rifle in his home, which violates his release conditions, according to The Ledger.

Nichols, however, rejected the request.

The federal judge also gave co-defendant Joseph Hutchinson III, 25, approval to travel to Lakeland for Christmas and again in January for Doolin’s wedding, according to The Ledger. He will reportedly be Doolin’s best man at the ceremony.

Hutchinson received permission to take part in events related to Doolin’s wedding, including a bachelor party and a rehearsal dinner, according to The Ledger. He is scheduled to travel back to Georgia on Jan. 5, one day after the wedding.

Prosecutors reportedly sought to block Hutchinson’s travel to Doolin’s wedding events.

Doolin and Hutchinson were both charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees and aiding and abetting, theft of government property, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent angry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, all in connection to the Jan. 6 attack.

They were indicted in July, along with three other individuals. The group of five allegedly attacked several officers on Jan. 6, with some of them attempting to steal equipment from the officers.

The Department of Justice said Doolin had zip-tie handcuffs tucked into his belt and was armed with a riot-control chemical canister when he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

According to court records cited by The Ledger, Doolin and his wife were legally wed earlier this year but are planning on having a religious ceremony next month.

Lawyers representing Doolin have reportedly asked twice that the GPS ankle bracelet on their client be removed as part of his pretrial release, but Nichols denied the request. Hutchinson will have a GPS “beacon” device with him when he travels back and forth from Lakeland, The Ledger reported, citing court records.