Oath Keepers members face fall trial over Jan. 6

Members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will face jurors this fall after a judge on Tuesday denied defense attorneys’ bid to delay the high-profile trial until next year.

Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, and other associates of the anti-government group argued a trial beginning in September would be tainted by publicity surrounding recent Jan. 6 House committee hearings.

But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said he is confident the court will find a fair jury for the Oath Keepers’ case in Washington next month and that he’s obligated to oversee a speedy trial for the defendants, who have been locked up for months.