A federal judge sharply criticized the treatment of the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a high-profile Washington gala, calling the jail conditions “legally deficient” and deeply troubling.

The case centers on 31-year-old Cole Allen, a Los Angeles-area man charged after authorities say he fired a shotgun during a failed attack targeting Trump and senior administration officials at an April 25 press event in Washington, DC.

During a tense court hearing Monday, US magistrate judge Zia Faruqui openly rebuked the handling of Allen inside the Washington jail system, saying the accused had been subjected to treatment that crossed serious legal and ethical lines.

“Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize,” Faruqui said during a court hearing.

Judge Questions Conditions Inside DC Jail

Faruqui said he was alarmed by reports that Allen had been isolated from other inmates, placed on suicide watch despite reportedly showing no suicidal tendencies, and denied access to a Bible.

The judge emphasized that Allen has no prior criminal history and deserved humane treatment while awaiting trial.

Faruqui said he had an obligation to make sure the 31-year-old Los Angeles-area man is “treated with the basic decency of a human being”.

Allen agreed last week to remain in custody after his attorneys declined to challenge prosecutors’ claims that he posed a danger to the public. He currently faces attempted assassination and firearms charges, though he has not yet entered a plea.

Suicide Watch Decision Draws Scrutiny

The hearing revealed growing concerns over how jail officials handled Allen immediately after his arrest.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the court that Allen informed FBI agents he did not expect to survive the alleged attack at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Still, Allen’s legal team argued that a health evaluation showed no suicidal tendencies, making the decision to place him on suicide watch questionable. According to his lawyers, Allen was held in a padded cell for 23 hours a day and blocked from accessing religious materials, including a Bible.

Although Allen has since been removed from suicide watch, he remains in restrictive housing. His attorneys said they did not oppose that arrangement.

“Right now, it’s not working. It’s insufficient. I think it’s legally deficient,” Faruqui said of Allen’s treatment in the jail.

Court Says Pre-Trial Detention Is Not Punishment

Faruqui repeatedly stressed that the severity of the allegations should not justify punitive treatment before a conviction.

The judge noted that while the allegations against Allen were “extremely serious”, pre-trial detention is not supposed to be punitive.

That comment became even more pointed when Faruqui compared Allen’s confinement to the treatment of defendants charged in the January 6 Capitol riot cases.

According to the judge, some individuals involved in the 2021 Capitol attack received more favorable treatment despite what he described as comparable conduct.

Capitol Riot Comparison Raises Eyebrows

Faruqui specifically referenced the handling of defendants tied to the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, when supporters of Trump attempted to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

The judge noted that many of those defendants, some of whom Trump later pardoned, also complained about conditions inside the same Washington jail facility.

“I’m fascinated and disturbed,” the judge said.

Many Capitol riot defendants, who Trump has since pardoned, also objected to their treatment in the same Washington jail, and were housed in a unit separate from other inmates.

Judge Demands Answers From Jail Officials

As concerns mounted inside the courtroom, Faruqui ordered a lawyer representing the jail to provide an update by Tuesday morning regarding a final decision on Allen’s confinement conditions.

The ruling adds another explosive layer to an already high-profile case involving alleged threats against Trump and senior government officials.

Meanwhile, the legal battle surrounding Allen’s detention conditions appears poised to intensify long before the criminal case itself heads toward trial.