Alleged Capitol Rioter Matthew Miller Released To His Mother While Awaiting Trial
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Matthew Miller from Howard County was ordered released to his home while awaiting trial for his alleged role in the Capitol riots.
Miller pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a raft of charges connected to the US Capitol riot, and a judge said he will likely allow Miller to be released to the care of his mother with GPS monitoring. He cannot leave his home for any reason, including work, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Prosecutors accuse Miller of scaling the Capitol walls and of attacking police with a fire extinguisher. Miller claimed he found the extinguisher on scaffolding on the Capitol grounds and did not bring it from home.
You can read the case against Miller here.
His mother, a longtime employee of Howard County schools, wrote a letter to Judge Randolph Moss.
She told him, "Mathew is a very understanding and caring person. He loves the company of others and is the first to step up and lend a helping hand to those in need. At the young age of twenty two, it saddens me that my son has been caught up in a situation which could stain his reputation for life. Other than a speeding ticket, Mathew has never been in trouble. Please, your honor, I beg you to consider Mathew's age, and I hope you will look at my boy and his accomplishments as I stated above. Please factor all this into consideration when determining the outcome."
Crisis at the Capitol: Complete Coverage
She agreed to remove a rifle from her home and "do whatever it takes" so he could be free awaiting trial.
Judge Moss called the riot, "An assault on democracy" but said, "It is my view, with proper conditions, Mr. Miller can safely be released to the community."
Pretrial services noted the GPS monitoring is a "passive system" and they would not be notified immediately if Miller entered Washington, D.C. in the future.
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