By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast Song
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
FEDERAL COURT, Nov 2, Exclusive -- Back on May 6, well over a month after the DC Circuit's decision in US v. Munchel, DDC Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather held a proceeding with Utah's Landon Kenneth Copeland. Inner City Press live tweeted it here and below.
Now in November 2, Inner City Press has been contacted by Copeland's prison mate, and after some back and forth exclusively publishes this:
Dear Matthew Russell Lee: I do not speak for Landon, nor do I know what is in his head, but i do know what he has told me and what I know from my own experience with the system. There are two type of people in jail. Those that have been through the system and those that do not have a firm understanding of the policies and bureaucracy of the court. Mr. Copeland is clearly one of the latter. From my personal conversations with him he is clearly a man who does not have a familiarity with the court system as I do. Being dragged through the system in my past thorough all faults of my own, I have experienced every good and bad thing the court system in the United States has to offer. I have had private and public defenders. I have represented my self and petitioned the court on my own. I have seen many deals come across my file that were either illegal or just unjust... According to Landon as he told the story, first was not at the capitol to riot, to show any civil disobedience at all. In fact Mr. Copeland was under the impression that he had the right as an American citizen to speak to the law makers of this country. He believed, and i believe him when he says, that as citizens we have to right to address the system that is broken by addressing those that make the laws, our senators and congresspeople. This is the reason he was there at the capitol bldg. Copeland is a veteran. A seasoned veteran. Not only did he serve in a war, he served several tours and was trained as a young man to do two things. identify and kill the enemy and more importlantly, guard and protect the innocent. would it be citizens of the effected area or his fellow. Soldiers, dignitaries, or related members of the force. These things were ingrained into his mind and soul at a very young age. Mr. copeland comes from a different background as most of us here in the US. He was raised in acommunity that allowed him to grow trustful of others. Lots of things in the being raised Mormon that I personally don't understand but what I get from him is that the community was at large responsible for discipline and education. Leland is a very trusting and honest man. He believes you when you speak to him. He doesn't really have the need to desire to think people especially people in authority are lying or misleading him. Remember, he went to war for US, you and me, under this pretense. That what he is being told and shown is true and necessary. Mr. Copeland tells me that when he was confronted with objection to enter the capitol building, he like others there, did not understand this.... Only after when we personally discussed making America a better place for everyone did we discuss Trump and something we like to call that is in no way associated with trump but an dream we had together, and ideal we wanted for the world. He noticed through his training that men and women that he was side by side with were being zip-tied, pulled to the ground, and some disappeared from his sight. Again, i cant speak to his mental state of mind, but he said to me, "i am trained to notice these things and i went into active mode". His training and experience charged him and he began to protect those around him. He became that defender again. The man we trained. He became a hero. He began to do what we trained him to do. Protect the men and women around him. Prevent them from being taken hostage and fend off attackers at even the cost of his own life. Some might call this PTSD. I dont know, but clearly it is something. Something in a different environment we would commend. We might even give him medals...
I personally believe that the court has no idea how to charge this event criminally. They must CREATE a new law, or offense to honestly address what happened. So to avoid this, they have attacked each and every offender on a personal basis. each being charged with different and independent charges that could "stick". This in itself is wrong, IMHO. Landon was in his first court appearance through a conference call at he time when we didn't even have procedural structure for such type hearings. That itself was not fair to him. The only experience the court has with this type of communications was testing. We have come a LONG way since then and technology has greatly improved , things like muting, holding and all this stuff. This hearing would have been more controlled today, but at that time, Copeland had a little more control over the phone call, and his desire to speak or be squelched was not met by his counsel, mostly because his counsel was not in the same room as he was.(when your lawyer is sitting right next to you, he or she can MAKE sure you don't say things you shouldn't, if they so choose. on a zoom or conference call its much harder.. He was not informed of his rights fully and clearly. He was not informed of his rights to trial times, he was not explained the legal process like a 3rd grader. He didn't understand why he was not being allowed to speak. He didn't understand, as with entering the Capitol building, why he wasn't afforded the chance to defend himself. Most Americans do not understand this because we are taught as children that the accused is innocent until proven guilty, and we take that to heart and apply it in every away to all cases we see in the criminal justice system. But this, in real life, is not the case. A war veteran, a US citizen, a man struggling with child custody issues, he lashed out. but if you look at what he said in context it makes some kind of sense. The problem with all the reposts and reports is that the comments are taken out of context and played to sound crazy and ridiculous. no one prints the comments in context. he is a religious man and the flesh comments are biblical. His evil comment is a direct address to the court from a religious man. When in this state of mind he reverted to his childhood of persecution and misunderstanding of the Judeo Christian / Mormon teachings. He was accused of threatening the court and his parole officer. in reality he was expressing the subconscious warnings that his training has instilled into him. He knows what he becomes, yet he does not have the ability to control the change from submissive to active. This man, in my option, clearly suffers from psychological trauma, training and stress. NO BODY as attempted to HELP this man. When i have discussed options like medication and treatment, he is baffled by the options. He becomes overwhelmed at the thoughts. My heart bleeds for this man. He just doesn't understand. He is very smart. He is very in touch with his emotions as a father, a man and a citizen of this country. He wants change, he wants something different for us all, but has no vehicle to drive the change, because he is still that young man who learned early in childhood to take authority as rule, as the definitive answer and to follow direction and instruction, But , he has never been "decompressed" as many of our soldiers are deprived of. We, in some cases, have the responsibility to take them by the hand as just as we taught them to kill, we need to re teach them to love, to be kind and to think and make decisions for themselves. We have deprived Leland of this. Never offered it to him. and when he was reaching out for directions, trying to help, we incriminated him, we told him what he was doping was wrong with out explanation. to this day i don't think he understands the gravity of his situation, nor does he understand his value in this world. even with that, he STILL tries to be the best man he can. He still helps even in the jail. I can keep going on, I'm not sure if this is what you wanted to hear, but like i said., i slept next to this man for weeks and sat and listened to his horrific stories of war and training. We talked about big issues like poverty and social injustices. Facebook being weaponized and how we can prevent people from being put in jail for things like drugs and child support. The man has a heart, a good heart. He should be released to be with his newborn child. He should be found to in need of mental health help."
Lawyer for accused insurrectionist Anthony Antonio tells someone (the prosecutor), You look like Chris Hayes of MSNBC. An advocacy tactic? [Seems so - see below, he bragged about knowing Biden]
Now a "Mister Copeland" on the multi-defendant call is shouting, I'm in my car, I have nothing to hide! He is told, repeatedly, not to talk on the public line. I have nothing to hide, Copeland says.
Voice: "Can't the clerk mute Mr Copeland?" Deputy: You're not his lawyer. So, no. Voice: I'm just a person who wants to get some work done. Copeland: You are evil!
From DOJ website: "Copeland was arrested on April 29 and had his initial appearance the same afternoon. He was released on condition." Courtroom deputy says Copeland will be processed last today. Thread will continue
Confirmed: Copeland of "you are evil" is Landon Kenneth COPELAND, calling in by phone for initial appearance in DDC,As Judge Meriweather runs through general condition of release for other defendants, Copeland cuts in - "I have questions about my conditions" .. I am free Deputy: This is not the time for you to speak.
Deputy: We are not going to get anywhere like this. We can't have these interruptions, or we're not going to get through this calendar today. Copeland: I'll keep my mouth shut, I promise. Deputy: Or I'll mute you. Copeland: Yes, ma'am.
Copeland: I just want to ask, if any of this negotiable? Deputy: You are going to be muted if you don't stop right now. We'll call on your lawyer later.
Now processed, with less fanfare, is William Tryon previously released by a Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of New York. His Magistrates' Court case number is lower than Copeland, but he is not listed on DOJ's web page of cases.
Another straight forward appearance: Anthony Antonio. He was living in Delaware but now working on South Carolina for the past two months. His lawyer wants a loosening of conditions of release, says, "I'll keep it to four minutes or less... My client has no record"
Anthony Antonio's lawyer says his client work for a "solar company, Excel." They moved him to Illinois where, during the lockdown, "he became hooked on Fox-mania." Copeland: I would like to object! That's not pertinent!
[These multi-defendant presentments may not be a good idea - Copeland is objecting to Antonio's lawyer pleading "Fox-itis"] Antonio's lawyer: He stood on the steps exhorting peaceful protest. He smiled at police. Copeland: I object! Judge: Please mute Mr. Copeland
Antonio's lawyer: I will remember this hearing forever. My client came to me on Jan 20. I was not going to represent anyone from that mess, I was going to say, "I don't represent you people." #YouPeople
Antonio's lawyer: I contacted my Congress-person, to make him available at impeachment hearing. But they called no witnesses. [Imagine Copeland on mute]
Antonio's lawyer: Now my client works for a roofing company in South Carolina. He has to travel to a seminar, May 15-19 in Utah. [He could visit Copeland] Antonio's lawyer calls his client "a cooperating witness with the FBI." Really?
Says, needs to go to Texas in June and another one in September. [Particularly bad idea to have a joint proceeding of a self-declared cooperating witness with a defendant like Copeland
Antonio's lawyer is laying it on thick - says he knows Biden and would ask him to sponsor him into the DC Bar. Except Biden is not admitted. Also agrees to waiving Speedy Trial Act time, so that "the bad guys" can be prosecuted before his client.
Now as routine insurrection cases from Kansas are processed, a friend of Copeland calls in and speaks up. Deputy is referring her to AT&T listen-only line. But I like to listen, she says. Copeland is soon: countdown
Copeland starts with a bang: You people f*cked this up, he says. "You're going to give me a psych eval. I don't like 70% of my income going to the government. F*ck all of you!
Copeland has been muted. Judge: Profanity is not allowed to be used in court proceedings. Whatever grievances you have with Federal law enforcement or the court, this is not the time to raise it. It does you a dis-service. We expect order in the court.
Judge: Counsel, if I put you in a break-out room I could provide it. I would have asked the Marshals to remove him. We have other defendants. Lawyer: He might benefit from a break-out with the attorney he met with in Utah, Mr. Stout. We don't have a relationship
Mr. Stout: I'm available. Deputy: OK, we'll do another case first.
Copeland: I wanna talk in open court you mother f*ckers! Deputy: I thought I had muted that line.
Update: Judge Meriweather put Copeland in a breakout room, said proceeding would resume. Then the AT&T line cut off. Now both of her lines are on AT&T hold music. No announcement as to whether Copeland came back on, or the resolution. Like the withheld videos...
We will have more on this.
Inner City Press live tweeted Riley June Williams on January 25, here.
From January 22, song here: Thread here.
Inner City Press' John Earle Sullivan song on SoundCloud here.
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