Attorneys acting on behalf of Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer have filed a motion to dismiss all charges levelled against him for his role in the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6.
As reported by MetalSucks, Schaffer's attorneys are citing The Speedy Trial Act, claiming that the government has failed to properly indict Schaffer within 30 days of his arrest. The motion specifies that “The Government has not filed either an Information or Indictment and the Complaint must be dismissed.”
As of March 8, Schaffer was still being held in the same Marion County, Indiana jail he has been in since turning himself in on January 17, a time period of 48 days.
The six charges Schaffer is facing are:
1) Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority
2) Disrupting the Orderly Conduct of Government Business
3) Knowingly Engages in an Act of Physical Violence Against any Person or Property in any Restricted Building or Grounds
4) Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building
5) Engage in an Act of Physical Violence in a Capitol Building
6) Parade, Demonstrate, or Picket in a Capitol Building
While Schaffer has not commented on his involvement, the remaining members of Iced Earth declared their opposition in the following statement:
"We absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions."
Two band members, Stu Block and Luke Appleton, also quit the band in the wake of Schaffer's arrest.
