Judge allows Jan. 6 defendant to travel to Trump inauguration

• William Pope can travel to D.C. from Jan. 19 to 21, D.C. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an Obama-appointee, decided. Pope's pretrial conditions restricted him from travel to D.C.
• "All other conditions of release remain unchanged," Contreras wrote.

State of play: Pope, based in Topeka, Kansas, is charged with several misdemeanors arising from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack.

• His trial was previously postponed by Contreras, who said he wanted to avoid pointlessly bringing in dozens of jurors for cases that could soon dissolve.
• Contreras wrote that he considered Pope's record, including that he "is not charged with assault or vandalism-related charges."

What he's saying: "Since January 6, 2021, I have traveled to Washington twice and have had nothing but positive interactions with Capitol Police," Pope, who is representing himself in court, wrote in a Thursday filing.

• "The fact is, several January 6 defendants, including myself, have been in congressional office buildings and the Capitol within the last year, and no Capitol police have seem fazed," he added.

Go deeper: Schumer says pardons for Jan. 6 rioters "outrageous"