Court hearing delayed for expelled Oregon lawmaker accused of letting protesters into state Capitol

The first court appearance for former Oregon state Rep. Mike Nearman (R), who was expelled from the legislature after being accused of letting rioters into the state Capitol in December, has been delayed for three weeks.

The Oregonian, citing court records, reported Tuesday that the delay to July 19 was made at the request of Nearman’s attorney, who said the former lawmaker “will be in better position to know what will happen.”

In January, security footage obtained by The Oregonian showed Nearman pushing open a door, allowing protesters to enter the building during a legislative session. Some of the protesters became violent, including spraying an officer with an unknown substance.

Nearman was charged with two misdemeanors in May over his alleged actions including first-degree official misconduct and second-degree criminal trespass. Earlier this month Nearman was expelled from the Oregon House of Representatives in a nearly unanimous vote, with Nearman being the only one to vote “no.”

The Oregonian noted that Nearman is the first sitting lawmaker to be expelled from the state legislature in Oregon’s history.

“The facts are clear that Mr. Nearman unapologetically coordinated and planned a breach of the Oregon state Capitol,” Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D) said after the vote. “His actions were blatant and deliberate, and he has shown no remorse for jeopardizing the safety of every person in the Capitol that day. Given the extraordinary circumstances, this was the only reasonable path forward.”