A federal judge accepted a Mercer County woman's apology for appearing to mock a court order that mandated she wear a mask while awaiting trial for charges related to the Jan. 6 rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell accepted Rachel Marie Powell's explanation and apology this week for apparently violating her pre-trial release provision that she comply with mask mandates. In accepting Powell's explanation, Howell agreed not to revoke Powell's pre-trial release.

Powell is known nationally as the “pink hat lady” after federal investigators released wanted posters for Powell wearing a distinct pink hat following the Capitol riot.

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services office filed a noncompliance report April 15 against Powell, saying the office received evasive answers from her when it called to inquire about a social media video that appeared to show Powell wearing a mesh mask with her nose and mouth visible.

On April 16, Howell asked Powell to explain the video.

“At this time, (the court) has no reason to believe that her apology is not genuine and that she will continue to comply with her conditions of pre-trial release,” Howell writes in her order accepting Powell's explanation.

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appears in Thursday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.