TAMPA (WFLA) – In a new court filing, a federal judge has approved a 60-day continuance in the case against the Parrish man seen in the widely circulated photo carrying Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
Adam Johnson, 36, is charged with various unlawful entry offenses as well as theft of government property in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“The Court finds that the ends of justice served by the granting of such continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and the Defendant in a speedy trial, as the continuance will provide the parties with additional time to review the voluminous discovery in this matter as well as discuss a potential pretrial disposition,” writes U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Harvey from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The U.S. government’s “Unopposed Motion to Continue the Status Hearing and Exclude Time Under the Speedy Trial Act” offers insight into the scope of the Department of Justice investigation into the Capitol Attack.
“The investigation and prosecution of the Capitol Attack will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of the evidence,” said the motion submitted by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips. “Over 300 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol Attack. The investigation continues and the government expects that at least one hundred additional individuals will be charged.”
The motion states more than 900 search warrants have been executed in almost all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Investigators have accumulated more than 15,000 hours of surveillance video and body worn camera footage from multiple law enforcement agencies, about 1,600 electronic devices and more than 210,000 tips, “of which many include video, photo and social media.”
“In short, even in cases involving a single defendant, the volume of discoverable materials is likely to be significant,” the government’s motion said.
The siege by a mob of pro-Trump supporters on the Capitol to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College vote from the 2020 presidential election led to the deaths of five people, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.
The government’s April 9th motion in the Johnson case said in addition to cases against individual defendants, “the government is also investigating conspiratorial activity that occurred prior to and on January 6, 2021.”
After Johnson made his initial appearance on Jan. 11 in a Tampa federal courtroom, 8 On Your Side asked his lawyers if the photo poses a challenge to their client’s case.
“I don’t know how else to explain that, but yeah that would be a problem,” attorney Dan Eckhart said. “I’m not a magician […] so yeah we’ve got a photograph of our client who appears to be inside the federal building with government property.”
In addition to the photo of Johnson smiling while carrying the Speaker’s lectern, the government’s Statement of Facts from the criminal complaint includes a photograph Johnson posted on his Facebook page.
Johnson was released from custody after his first hearing on a ‘signature bond,’ meaning he will only have to pay if he fails to show up for court.
The conditions of Johnson’s release include a $25,000 bond, a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, the surrender of his passport, no firearms or weapons, and restricted travel in the Middle District of Florida and D.C. for court matters.
The next status hearing for Johnson’s case is scheduled for June 18.
