WASHINGTON – While facing multiple felony charges for allegedly assaulting police during the January 6, 2021, unrest, Tommy Tatum from Mississippi had aspirations to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration this month.

Prosecutors opposed his request, highlighting the risk of him encountering the officers he is accused of attacking.

A federal judge concurred, identifying Tatum as a potential danger, reflecting a trend among judges to prevent January 6 defendants from attending events associated with Trump’s possible comeback.

“Tatum’s alleged actions were notably violent,” stated U.S. District Judge John Bates, underscoring the necessity of restricting Tatum’s travel to Washington, D.C., as he awaits trial.

Nearly 1,600 individuals have faced legal action for their involvement in the violent January 6 assault on the Capitol, with many looking to Trump to make good on his promise to pardon at least some of them.

In the interim, a few defendants have found mixed results in their attempts to secure permission from judges to attend Trump’s inauguration.

Defendant with lesser charges allowed to attend inauguration

Eric Lee Peterson, facing disorderly and disruptive conduct charges, sought permission to travel from Kansas City, Missouri, to witness Trump’s swearing-in. His attorneys argued that he is a business owner and a military veteran with no prior criminal record before the January 6 incident.

Peterson’s charges are misdemeanors for entering the Capitol, and he stated he was unaware of the violent protests and destruction at the time.

The request was approved by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan last month.

However, defendants facing more severe allegations have not been granted similar leeway.

The attorneys for Christopher Belliveau from Sanford, Maine, contended that he should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty. They argued that being charged does not imply he is any more dangerous than others. His legal team described him as a respected business figure with no violent or vandalism past, stating his behavior while awaiting trial has been “exemplary.”

Conversely, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly referenced the “serious nature” of Belliveau’s charges, which include allegedly assaulting an officer with chemical spray outside the Capitol. Belliveau reportedly entered the building for roughly 15 minutes with a bullhorn and hockey stick, as detailed in court documentation.

Travel request denied despite congressional invitation

Another federal judge dismissed the travel request from a California man who received a personal invitation from a former congressman to attend the inauguration with his family.

Former Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, affirmed Russell Taylor’s “integrity, faith, and good values.”

His legal representatives argued that Taylor, who is currently on a three-year probation for conspiring to obstruct Congress, “does not pose any risk or concern with this travel request.”

Nonetheless, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth rejected the request this month, highlighting Taylor’s “unusually grave actions” on January 6.

Taylor had provided a backpack filled with weapons, including a knife, a stun baton, two hatchets, and carbon fiber knuckle gloves, to a co-defendant for transportation to Washington.

During the riot, he bypassed police barriers and engaged in confrontations with officers outside the Capitol, according to the judge’s observation. Taylor had expressed intentions of insurrection and pleaded guilty in 2023.

“Although he didn’t personally attack law enforcement, he did make threats and incite other rioters who were actively assaulting them,” Lamberth stated.

Pending travel requests

One request still awaiting judgment is from Cindy Young, who was sentenced to four months in prison and a year of probation after being convicted of four misdemeanors in August for entering and remaining in the Capitol and disorderly conduct.

Young’s lawyers assert that she poses no threat; however, government attorneys pointed out her actions on January 6, which included disrupting Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s victory and only leaving the Capitol once another rioter was shot.

The Department of Justice noted that Young has called for retribution against jurors, judges, and law enforcement officers involved in prosecuting the January 6 defendants, all based in the Washington area.

‘I will be completely peaceful’

Prosecutors are raising concerns about the risks William Pope of Topeka, Kansas, could pose to law enforcement officers.

Pope faces charges of obstructing Congress, civil disorder, and unlawfully entering the Capitol on January 6. He informed a federal judge, who was reviewing his travel request, that he has visited Washington twice since 2021 without any issues.

In his request, Pope stated, “As with all my previous trips to D.C., I will be completely peaceful.”

However, government attorneys shifted the focus back to the events of 2021, claiming Pope “was at the forefront of the crowd,” pushing through police to gain access to the Capitol.

Prosecutors noted in their filing, “These rioters forced their way into the U.S. Capitol building, prompting elected officials and their staff to either flee or take shelter, resulting in hundreds of injured officers and multiple fatalities.”