Sixth Judicial District Judge Justin Fay ruled Wednesday that William Wayne Bryant’s preliminary hearing demand is rescheduled to Oct. 1.
The hearing was originally set for Wednesday afternoon and was intended to determine the date of Bryant’s preliminary hearing, during which evidence would be presented and reviewed by the court.
In Wednesday’s demand proceedings, Fay said there was a misunderstanding involving a request from The Associated Press for a livestreamed Bryant’s hearing, which led to the delay.
A representative from the Archuleta County Clerk said Fay approved the AP’s request to livestream the preliminary hearing. But a mistake led to Wednesday’s demand setting being livestreamed instead.
“Judge Fay made the record stating that he went ahead and livestreamed it, even though it was different than what his order stated,” the representative said. “It was actually just a demand setting, as opposed to an actual evidentiary hearing.”
The judge noted that the defense was concerned about the potential impact of livestreaming on Bryant’s right to a fair trial before jury selection.
Bryant faces allegations that he firebombed the Archuleta County assessor’s and clerk’s offices on June 12. His case made national headlines after reports alleged he targeted the offices because of the presence of a Dominion voting machine.
The official arrest affidavit from the Pagosa Springs Police Department alleged that Bryant harbored anti-taxation sentiment and repeatedly posted conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of Dominion voting machines online.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
