Jan. 6 riot suspect from Wellington will get to shed ankle monitor

Clifford Mackrell, the Wellington man accused of attacking a police officer while storming the U.S. Capitol, has asked to be rid of an ankle monitor while awaiting trial. He has worn the device for nearly two years since being charged with felony counts of physical violence on the Capitol grounds, assaulting a police officer and civil disorder, as well as misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining in the restricted federal building and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct — all stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, D.C. Wearing an ankle monitor "for such an extended period of time has become overly burdensome for Mr. Mackrell," according to a motion filed by his attorney, federal public defender A.J. Kramer. He argued Mackrell has been fully compliant with the conditions of release, including reporting to pretrial services, negative drug screenings and no violations of his electronic monitoring condition. Kramer wrote that wearing the ankle device can be painful, since Mackrell's job requires him to be moving around on his feet most of the day. It also prevents him from wearing boots, which "presents a number of issues in the winter as he generally works outdoors." The motion was filed with Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. The court indicated it intends to grant the request to do away with the monitor, but first has to determine what conditions will be imposed. With hundreds of defendants and mountains of video evidence, the Jan. 6 insurrection has led to backlogged cases. The COVID-19 pandemic has not helped, further delaying proceedings. The court has ruled that the "ends of justice" outweigh the right to a speedy trial. Mackrell's trial has been pushed back numerous times, and is now scheduled for May 10. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts. A plea deal, the terms of which were not available via the court docket, expired in August. Records show both sides continue to work toward an agreement. On Tuesday, the court scheduled hearings for March 20 and April 26, and a pretrial conference for May 9. According to the FBI, Mackrell was identified in the Jan. 6 crowd at the Capitol after a tipster recognized him as a member of the Wellington High School Class of 2018. Investigators quickly discovered his Facebook page, where Mackrell allegedly ranted the day of the riot against government corruption. The FBI said he suggested getting "rid of all of them because well it is out literal job as american's to kill the tyrannical government. [sic]." The agency claimed Mackrell was seen repeatedly striking a Capitol police officer, then pulling off the officer's face mask in an alleged attempt to expose him to a chemical spray.