'Rise Of The Moors' Suspects Keep It Up In Offbeat Arraignments

Wakefield MA

07 July, 2021

1:52 PM

Description

MEDFORD, MA — Two more members of the Rise of the Moors, the group involved the I-95 weekend standoff with authorities, were arraigned Wednesday morning at Malden District Court. While things went quicker than the previous day, the proceedings continued to be anything but routine. Not guilty pleas were entered for Conrad Pierre and a man who has not given his name to police, identified as John Doe #2. Appearing before a judge, the unidentified man refused to give his identification, just like John Doe #1 did on Tuesday. And just like #1, #2 is being ordered held until Friday, when both must identify themselves. Pierre was hollering about injustice after repeatedly interrupting the judge. The Rise of the Moors suspects, except a 17-year-old male, will be held without bail until dangerousness hearings Friday. The two-day marathon of arraignments was marked by outbursts and members of the group refusing to acknowledge the court's authority. Most of the members refused a court-appointed opportunity, asking instead for someone not licensed to practice law in Massachusetts to represent them. The Rise of the Moors group is part of a sovereign citizen movement deemed by the Southern Poverty Law Center to be extremist. They claim to be outside federal and state jurisdiction. Eleven men were arrested Saturday after a state trooper came across them outside their cars on the side of the highway, heavily armed and clad in military-style gear. They said they were driving from Rhode Island to Maine for "training." Police spent much of Saturday speaking with the group, who claimed they were not anti-government. A stretch of I-95 was shut down for hours. No shots were fired and no one was injured.