W.Va. Woman Who Took Part In Capitol Insurrection Makes First Court Appearance, Released On Bond

A 23-year-old University of Kentucky student from West Virginia made her first court appearance and was released on bond Tuesday after being charged for her role in the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Gracyn Courtright appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and waved her right to a preliminary hearing, which would have given her an opportunity to dispute whether she is the person federal authorities are seeking.

Courtright, of Hurricane, West Virginia, was charged over the weekend in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia with entering a restricted building, disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct and theft of government property.

With U.S. Magistrate Judge Dwayne L. Tinsley presiding, Courtright — who appeared in the Charleston courtroom in handcuffs — was released on $10,000 unsecured bond with conditions.

Those include Courtright not breaking any federal, state or local laws. She will also have her travel restricted — limited only to the Southern District of West Virginia, the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Kentucky, where she attends college in Lexington.

Courtright must also turn over her passport and not possess any firearms or weapons.

Tinsley noted in the proceedings that he understood that Courtright’s father owns guns. The public defender appointed to represent Courtright for the initial hearing, Rhett Johnson, acknowledged that to be the case and said Courtright’s father had agreed to have guns removed from the home where his daughter has been staying.

“If you do not comply with these conditions and if you come back to court as a result of that, your bond could be revoked and you could be prosecuted on additional charges,” Tinsley said.

Courtright was to be released from custody after processing with the U.S. Marshal’s office and meeting with her probation officer.

Courtright is one of dozens of people who have been arrested for participating the events on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., in which hundreds of pro-Trump extremists broke into the U.S. Capitol and disrupted Congress certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.

FBI officials say they reviewed surveillance video of the capitol on Jan. 6. In one piece of footage, a woman identified as Courtright can be seen carrying a “Members Only” sign that was meant to notify passersby that access to an area was restricted to lawmakers.

Investigators also cited Instagram and Twitter accounts maintained by Courtright. Those accounts have since been deleted, though not before investigators were able to collect various screenshots of posts that link Courtright to the events.

In various posts, Courtright said she “can’t wait to tell my grandkids I was here” and “infamy is just as good as fame. Either way I end up more known,” according to the federal complaint.

Investigators also noted social media interactions in which Courtright said she “thought it was cool.”