A father and son from Covington, Louisiana, charged with felonies for being part of the January 6, 2021 insurrection attempt to overturn Joe Biden's presidential election, made their first federal court appearance today and were released on bail.
Willard Purkel Jr., 51, was released on a bond of $50,000, and his son, 2-year-old Colby Purkel, was released on $5,000 bond.
The two are scheduled to make their next court appearance before a federal magistrate in Washington, D.C. on December 7. They are being allowed to make that appearance via videoconference.
The Purkels are accused of pushing their way past Capitol police, making "contact with at least one officer," according to documents.
After being escorted from the building, authorities say the Purkels remained on Capitol grounds despite being instructed to leave.
The riots happened as the U.S. House and Senate convened to certify the 2020 presidential election, which Joe Biden won. Then-President Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome and told his supporters to "fight like hell" during a speech at a rally at the White House earlier that morning.
Trump has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding.
More than a thousand defendants from nearly all 50 states and Washington, D.C. have been charged in the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection.
