The first Minnesotan to go to trial for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is now serving as his own attorney in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Minnesota defendant in Jan. 6 case wants to serve as his own attorney
Brian Mock's trial will resume July 11 on charges he assaulted or impeded officers at the Capitol.
June 22, 2023 at 10:39PM
The trial of Brian Christopher Mock, 44, started Tuesday and the government rested its case against him Wednesday. Mock then let the court know he wanted to act as his own lawyer, according to court records.
Chief Judge James E. Boasberg granted Mock's request and also ordered defense attorney Peter Moyers to stay in court with him, a common practice in such situations. The judge on Thursday delayed the trial until July 11.
Mock was allegedly among the rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol to contest the election of President Joe Biden. He is accused of assaulting law enforcement and throwing a flagpole during the attack.
After the prosecution rested, Mock's lawyer moved for a judgment of not guilty, a standard practice at that stage in criminal cases. The judge granted the request regarding only the "dangerous weapons" elements of some of the counts. The judge, however, did not dismiss any counts.
At his request, Mock's verdict will be determined by the judge, not a jury. He was indicted on 11 counts, including "assaulting, resisting, or impeding" officers and doing so with a dangerous weapon. He was arrested in Minneapolis.
No reason was provided in court records for the delay in the trial, but truncated testimony is not uncommon when there is no jury. Mock remains free on his own recognizance.
Mock is alleged to have shoved one law enforcement officer to the ground and kicked him, according to court records. Body-worn law enforcement camera footage showed Mock "aggressively shouting at the officers and pointing at them yelling 'Get out! Go!' multiple times," court records said.
Prosecutors also alleged that Mock threw a flagpole at officers, shoved one officer to the ground, grabbed police riot shields and gave them to the protesters. He faces a charge of theft for that alleged act.
Moyers did not respond to requests for comment nor did the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C.
Staff writer Hunter Woodall contributed to this report.
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