LONGVIEW, TX. (KTAL/KMSS) — UPDATE: Alex Harkrider of Carthage, Texas, who is facing numerous charges related to his alleged role in the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol, has decided to take his case before a jury trial in federal court.

At a status conference hearing on Wednesday, Harkrider and his attorneys decided they’ll present their arguments before a jury, instead of accepting a plea deal. On Tuesday, Harkrider’s co-conspirator, Ryan Nichols of Longview, pleaded guilty to two felony charges related to his role in the insurrection.

In a press release, the Department of Justice stated, “Nichols traveled from his home in Texas to Washington, D.C., with his friend and co-defendant, Alex Kirk Harkrider, based on their belief that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.”

Harkrider has trial date is slated for January 2, 2024.

Alex Harkrider (left) and Ryan Nichols (right) in a photo at the Capitol Riot taken from a Facebook post from Nichols. (Photo via The Justice Department)

According to the DOJ, the two had been planning to storm the Capitol for weeks and posted about the riot several times on social media.

The press release declared, “In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.”