Former defense contractor acquitted on charges related to Jan. 6 riots

April 6 (UPI) -- A former federal defense contractor with top-secret security clearance was fully acquitted Wednesday of charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden found New Mexico engineer Matthew Martin not guilty on four misdemeanor charges including entering and remaining in a restricted area set up for a Secret Service protectee, disorderly conduct in such an area, disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds, and parading or demonstrating in the Capitol.

McFadden, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said that Martin's conduct was "as minimal and not serious" as he had seen in a Jan. 6 case and added that Martin's claims that he believed police allowed him to enter the Capitol building were "plausible" based on video shown at the trial.

Prosecutors argued that broken windows and blaring alarms captured in videos Martin recorded at the scene should have made it clear he was not allowed in, but McFadden said that prosecutors did not prove that beyond a reasonable doubt given the size of the crowd and conduct of the police.

"People were streaming by and the officers made no attempt to stop the people," said the judge.

McFadden said specifically that the charge of knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted area was a "close call" while declaring that "under our system of justice close calls go to the defendant."

Martin said he saw "no violence" despite filming a clash with police inside the rotunda and a rioter trying to break a window and confirmed that he told an airport official that Jan. 6 was "like a big block party," but said he was only referring to the Trump rally that preceded the riots.

"I enjoyed everything else. I enjoyed the rally," he said. "It's hard for me to say I regret coming to Washington, D.C."

Martin was fired from his job after his employer learned he was involved in the riots and he said Wednesday he hoped to return following the ruling.