Judge Wants Answers After Jan. 6 Defendant Reverses Himself, Proclaims Innocence

A large group of protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

A federal judge is demanding answers from lawyers representing a defendant after the man proclaimed his innocence one day after admitting he entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in violation of federal law.

U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta on Feb. 3 gave the defense and prosecutors one week to explain why he shouldn’t act following a published interview of Thomas Adams Jr., the defendant.