Federal judge rules Jan. 6 trial of Florida Oath Keepers to stay in D.C.

Judge refused to dismiss seditious conspiracy charges

Kelly Meggs and Kenneth Harrelson (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal judge ruled the trial of two Oath Keepers members will stay in Washington, D.C.

Attorneys for Kelly Meggs of Dunnellon and Kenneth Harrelson of Titusville argued that the January 6 Commission hearings were tainting the potential jury pool.

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Both Meggs and Harrelson were arrested by the FBI shortly after the events of January 6, 2021, in which hundreds of protestors entered restricted areas of the Capitol building.

Both are members of The Oath Keepers, an organization comprised primarily of veterans and law enforcement which vows to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

The two men face some of the most serious charges — including conspiracy to commit sedition. Meggs has maintained that he is innocent of the charges connected to the January 6 case.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the judge presiding over their case turned down the motion to move their trial out of Washington, D.C. He also refused to drop the charges against them.

So far, thirty Central Florida residents have been charged in connection to riots at the Capitol.


About the Authors

Anthony, a graduate of the University of Florida, joined ClickOrlando.com in April 2022.

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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