A federal judge on Wednesday acquitted Matthew Martin, a New Mexico resident and former federal contractor facing misdemeanor charges in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
This is the first acquittal of a Capitol riot defendant.
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U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said it was "not unreasonable" for Martin to believe law enforcement officials were letting some demonstrators come inside, and ruled that prosecutors did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Martin knew he was entering a restricted area. Martin faced charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building
After his arrest in April 2021, Martin lost his job as a contractor and the top-secret security clearance that came with it. Read more at NBC News.
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