Jan. 6 Detentions Called 'Cruel and Unusual' Punishment

A lawyer representing several defendants arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach is sounding alarm bells over conditions he says cannot be called "anything other than cruel and unusual," as suspects who have no criminal history and who are charged in non-violent crimes are allegedly held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours per day and denied bail.

St. Louis attorney Albert Watkins' clients are among the nearly 650 people rounded up so far for their alleged actions Jan. 6, when hundreds of protesters, who supported former President Donald Trump and who had concerns about potential voting irregularities, breached the Capitol while lawmakers were inside certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.