Judge Questions Jail Conditions for Trump Attack Suspect

A federal magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., expressed strong concerns Monday over the restrictive jail conditions imposed on Cole Tomas Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump by storming a high-profile political dinner on April 25.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui questioned why Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, had been placed on strict suicide watch following his arrest, describing the treatment as potentially punitive and unlike that given to other violent offenders at the D.C. jail. Allen was initially confined to a padded cell with constant lighting, subjected to repeated strip searches, restrained in five-point shackles outside his cell, and denied access to personal items, phone calls, books, religious materials, and recreation. "It could drive a person crazy to be in that situation," Faruqui said during the hearing.

Authorities removed Allen from suicide watch over the weekend after complaints from his defense team and placed him in protective custody. His attorneys did not object to the current status but had sought basic amenities, including a Bible and a chaplain visit, which had not been provided. Defense attorney Eugene...