Salisbury defendant with case related to Jan. 6 attack has hearing date moved to May

A Salisbury, Maryland man was scheduled to have a court hearing this month after being charged with “Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder” but the hearing was moved again — this time to next month, more than three years after the alleged obstruction.

Carlos Ayala of Salisbury was arrested earlier this year for conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, including “obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder” and four other charges. Around the time of his arrest, he agreed to conditions for release on Jan. 9, 2024.Previous reporting from the Daily Times indicated that Ayala left the country in March of this year to go to Spain for a trip, which was approved by a U.S. magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The most recent court document shows that the parties in the case, United States of America v. Carlos Ayala, are still working towards a resolution out of court.

REVIEW: Salisbury, Maryland, Capitol riot defendant has court date moved again

“The Court finds that the parties are working in good faith towards a potential resolution, and that delay is necessary for the parties to review discovery and work towards an agreement for pretrial disposition of the case,” said U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, in an April 17 order. The order said the hearing is now scheduled for May 23, 2024, at 1 p.m.

The joint motion requesting the move — filed two days prior to the order — said: “The parties do not anticipate requesting any additional continuances.”

What do the documents say the defendant did on Jan. 6, 2021?

Ayala had been a member of both a police oversight board in Wicomico County and the Maryland State Board of Elections prior to resigning from the posts in the days after his arrest.

“According to allegations contained in court documents, Ayala was identified as among a group of rioters illegally gathered on restricted Capitol grounds,” said a January 2024 release from U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia that announced the arrest. “Ayala is seen on video footage climbing over police barricades and making his way to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol as rioters overran the police lines.”

REVIEW: January 6 United States Capitol attack defendant resigns from posts, to get day in court

An altercation with U.S. Capitol Police is described in the release, and the document indicates Ayala walked the length of the police line, gestured at the officers, and said, “Join us!”

Ayala, who according to court documents wore a “Stop the Steal” button on his sweatshirt at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is one of over 1,000 individuals charged with crimes related to the capitol breach, according to the U.S. Department of Justice release. The release regarding Ayala closed with the line: “A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”

The same court has a case pending involving the former president, Donald Trump, for his actions related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the scheduled ceremony for the counting of Electoral College votes and certifying the results of 2020’s presidential election. A court date for that Jan. 6-related case in which Trump is the defendant has not yet been scheduled.

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Hearing date moved for defendant with charges related to Jan. 6 attack