A U.S. House of Representatives member is expected to enter a guilty plea for allegedly triggering a false fire alarm in a Capitol office building.
Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, has stated that he intends to pay a fine and anticipates the charges being dropped.
He is facing a single charge of knowingly setting off a false fire alarm, which he claims was done accidentally.
The incident led to a one-hour evacuation as Democrats were trying to delay a vote on a stopgap funding bill. Some Republicans accused him of intentionally trying to disrupt the vote.
Mr. Bowman is scheduled to appear in Washington, D.C. for his arraignment on the misdemeanor charge, which carries a maximum penalty of $1,000 and six months in prison.
He has indicated that he will pay the fine and, if he follows bail conditions, the charges could be dropped after three months.
He has also pledged to write an apology letter, describing the incident as a “lapse in judgment.”
The spokesperson for the attorney general for the District of Columbia emphasized that Congressman Bowman was treated like any other individual who violates the law in the district, and the charges were based on evidence presented by Capitol Police.
According to a Capitol police affidavit, there were three warning signs near the door regarding emergency exits and fire alarms, and Mr. Bowman left the area quickly after triggering the alarm.
However, he denied to police that the act was intentional or meant to disrupt official proceedings.
Source-BBC
