My Position Ahead of Friday’s Sentencing
Ahead of the August 7, 2026 sentencing in United States v. Reardon, I explained why I would oppose a probation condition restricting courthouse access and why the case was headed for appeal.
Originally published by Don Matthews on We The People News on July 31, 2026.
On August 7, 2026, I was scheduled to appear by secure video for sentencing in Lake Charles, Louisiana, following my conviction arising from the August 25, 2025 U.S. Marshals encounter at the John M. Shaw Courthouse in Lafayette.
The government recommended unsupervised probation conditioned on restricting my access to federal courthouses. My position was straightforward: I would object because a condition controlling where a journalist may stand while gathering news is not an ordinary public-safety restriction.
I stated that I would rather serve the full 30-day statutory maximum than accept an open-ended condition limiting constitutionally protected newsgathering.
The trial record also contained a major evidence issue. Courthouse lobby surveillance that could have shown marshals directing me toward the area later characterized as obstructed was not preserved. The government’s explanation was a technical error, and no sanction followed.
Sentencing would start the appellate clock. My position was that the record deserved review by judges who were not part of the trial proceedings, particularly on the missing-video and constitutional issues.
