Natick Town Meeting Member's Capitol Riot Case Postponed Again

Natick MA

01 June, 2021

12:50 PM

Description

NATICK, MA — The court case of a Natick Town Meeting member charged in connection to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot has been pushed back again. During a brief hearing Friday at U.S. District Court in Washington, DC, a judge agreed to postpone a status hearing in Suzanne Ianni's case until July 27. Federal prosecutors sought the postponement citing the enormous size of the case — about 500 people have been or will be charged following the incident. This is the second time Ianni's case has been delayed by the size of the riot investigation. Federal prosecutors postponed the matter previously on April 6. Ianni, 59, was arrested in January at her Natick home by FBI agents. She was charged with disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, according to court documents. Ianni was also photographed inside the Capitol with Mark Sahady, a leader of the alt-right group Super Happy Fun America. Related: Natick Town Meeting Condemns Capitol Riot With Ianni Watching The July 27 court date will be a status hearing, where prosecutors and Ianni's defense attorney, Henry Fasoldt, will discuss where the case stands. Status hearings sometimes end in a defendant entering a plea. Her attorney told the Washington Post in April she will plead not guilty. Ianni is free on personal recognizance, and did participate in the Spring Town Meeting. During the spring meeting, members voted 98 to 27 to convene a committee to explore how the body might be able to remove members accused of wrongdoing. Town officials have said they do not have the power to remove Ianni — or any elected official accused of a crime. Ianni will be up for reelection in 2022.