The trial of a Gravette man charged in the U.S. Capitol riot has been rescheduled for the week of Jan. 9.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett's trial was previously set to begin Dec. 12 in the District of Columbia.
Last week, his attorneys asked that the trial be moved to March. Federal prosecutors responded saying they didn’t object to a continuance, but they would like for it to be only 30 to 45 days.
U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper, in a court filing, said he could grant a “brief continuance.”
He gave both parties until Monday to file a joint motion with available trial dates. They did that, saying the week of Jan. 9 was preferable, but the week of Jan. 16 was an alternative.
In an order filed Tuesday, Judge Cooper also vacated a pretrial conference set for Dec. 9 and rescheduled it for Jan. 4.
Barnett, 62, faces seven charges. Among them, he is charged with taking a dangerous weapon — a stun gun — into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and for obstructing an official government proceeding: Congress’ meeting to certify the Electoral College vote count indicating Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
Barnett received considerable media attention after posing for photos with his foot on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office suite.