Share and Follow
A federal judge expressed strong concerns on Monday over the treatment of a man accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, offering an apology for the severe confinement conditions he faced in prison.
Cole Allen, aged 31, has been held in federal custody following allegations that he attempted to infiltrate the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner with the intent to harm Trump and other senior government officials.
During a hearing, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui conveyed to a Department of Corrections (DOC) lawyer his deep unease regarding Allen’s situation behind bars. Initially, Allen was subjected to suicide watch protocols upon his incarceration.
A courtroom sketch dated May 4, 2026, depicts Cole Allen appearing before Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, alongside his legal representatives, during a session addressing the conditions of his imprisonment. (Illustration by Dana Verkouteren)
Under these suicide watch conditions, Allen was kept in a “safe cell” with no opportunity for phone calls or visits, except from his legal counsel, as outlined in a motion filed by his attorneys. They have also sought permission for him to access a tablet to aid in preparing his legal defense.
He was also allegedly denied a copy of the Bible despite more than one request.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine reasoned that since Allen told investigators he did not expect to survive the alleged attack, he could be a danger to himself.
But an incredulous Faruqui wasn’t convinced by that argument, drawing comparisons between Allen and defendants arrested for rioting at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A May 4, 2026, sketch of Cole Allen in front of Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui, with attorneys present, during an emergency hearing on prison conditions. (Dana Verkouteren )
“To me, it’s extremely disturbing that he was put in five-point restraints, a person with no criminal history,” Faruqui said, later adding that Allen is presumed innocent. “It’s troubling. I never heard of one Jan. 6 defendant who was put in five-point restraints or in a safe cell. If the only way to keep him safe is the most punitive thing, that’s a problem.”
The judge said even Jan. 6 defendants were only house in a Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), a less restrictive form of prison housing.
“Pardons may erase convictions, but they don’t erase history,” he said. “They were hanging gallows outside.”
“What am I to say to Allen that this is going to be a fair process if we’re putting him in a safe cell when he’s not supposed to be in there?” Faruqui said. “At a minimum I should be apologizing to him. We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to.”
He also addressed Allen directly.
“The jail is going to let me know by tomorrow morning about what’s going on with your housing situation,” he said, “If not, I’m going to have more questions for them. We should be able to get you into the medium portion of the jail, with windows.”
“Legal visits, ask for legal visits, do not accept that these things are acceptable,” Faruqui advised. “We will get you the Bible. If we can get someone vegan food, we can get you a Bible, we can make sure you’re not in five-point restraints.”
The judge ordered the jail to update him by tomorrow morning about Allen’s jail accommodations.
Cole Allen appears in court on April 27, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren)
The thrashing of the DOC and prosecution followed a motion filed on Sunday by Allen’s attorneys requesting he be removed from suicide precautions in prison.
However, Allen’s attorneys asked to withdraw the motion on Sunday afternoon after they said they learned that Cole was no longer under the jail’s suicide precautions.
Despite the withdrawal, Faruqui ordered the prosecution, defense and legal counsel for the DOC to appear before him for the Monday emergency hearing.
Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (Donald J Trump via Truth Social/Handout via Reuters)
“The court has grave concerns about the defendants seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement,” Faruqui’s response to the motion said. “As such, the parties and a representative of the Department of Corrections shall appear in Courtroom 4 at noon on May 4, 2026, to explain the conditions of confinement.”
On April 30, Allen declined to exercise his right to a pre-trial detention hearing. He remains in custody, and is expected in court for a preliminary hearing on May 11.
Fox News Digital reached out to Allen’s attorneys for comment.