A US district judge ruled Friday that Jon Mott of Yellville, one of four Arkansas defendants charged on January 6, modified his bail conditions so he could use weapons for “subsistence hunting.” . A condition for his release pending trial was that he did not possess firearms or dangerous weapons.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Judge Royce C. Lamberth said that “Defendant Jon Thomas Mott is permitted to use his legally owned firearms to engage in the practice of subsistence hunting and has further ordered that he not keep or store firearms or ammunition at your residence or place of employment and you must comply with all other conditions of your bond and those imposed by Pretrial Release.”
Mott’s attorney, Joseph W. Allen of Branson, filed the motion in the District of Columbia asking that his conditions be modified to allow him to hunt. Mott has been free on bond since his initial arrest in May 2021.
Mott’s pretrial release officer had no objection to the request, Allen wrote, “other than to request clarification in the amended order that the defendant must not have firearms or ammunition in his residence or place of employment.” .
“Defendant is lawfully in possession of multiple firearms that he has previously used for subsistence hunting purposes which, pursuant to his bond conditions, are NOT in his possession at this time,” Allen wrote. “The defendant has never had any firearm-related charges.”
Modern gun deer and bear season kicks off in Arkansas on November 12, but it’s already hunting season for other game, including rabbits and squirrels.
No trial date has been set for Mott. He has a status conference scheduled for Thursday.
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