Rachel Powell's lawyer told the court it was an homage to pop singer Lana Del Rey who also wore a mesh mask in a music video.
April 28, 2021

"A sly homage" to an image she saw in a music video, her lawyer called it. I can think of other words to use. Nevertheless, Judge Royce Lamberth was satisfied with the rest of her apology to the court and did not send 'Bullhorn Lady' Rachel Powell to jail for violating one of the conditions of her release pending trial for her role in the Capitol riot of January 6th.

Source: Law & Crime

The accused U.S. Capitol rioter known as the “Bullhorn Lady” can now breathe a big sigh of relief—just not in a mesh face mask.

After being released pending trial in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot, Rachel Powell put her freedom in jeopardy by wearing a hole-filled mask inside Mr. Bookman’s, a bookstore in rural Pennsylvania where she works. One of the conditions of Powell’s release set by Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell was to wear a face mask whenever she leaves her residence.

The case then went to Senior Judge Royce Lamberth, who was not amused and ordered her to explain why her bond should not be revoked for flouting court orders. Powell apologized on Monday through her attorney Michael J. Engle, who claimed her client was not trying to mock the court’s order. The attorney depicted the accessory as a sly homage to pop star Lana Del Rey.

Judge Lamberth said that he was “satisfied” by Powell’s apology—and her promise to keep herself masked up properly.

Lana Del Rey later explained that her mask in the video had plastic in it after arousing a lot of controversy at the time. Powell's did not have any plastic, of course. From Glamour:

In October 2020, Lana Del Rey drew criticism for wearing a sparkly mesh face mask to a crowded fan event in Los Angeles, when coronavirus case numbers were on the rise. She defended the accessory on Twitter, writing, “The mask had plastic on the inside. They’re commonly sewn in by stylists these days. I don’t generally respond to articles because I don’t care. But there ya go. Same goes for everyone’s masks in my video. I’m lucky enough to have a team of people who can do that.”

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