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March 29, 2024

June trial set for suspect accused of chucking shoe at Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton Speaks at 2014 Institute of Scrap Recycling

Steve Marcus

A woman, center, is led away by a security team after an object was thrown at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she spoke to members of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries during their annual convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Thursday, April 10, 2014.

Click to enlarge photo

Alison Michelle Ernst

Hillary Clinton Speaks at 2014 Institute of Scrap Recycling

A woman, center, is led away by a security team after an object was thrown at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she spoke to members of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries during their annual convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Thursday, April 10, 2014. Launch slideshow »

The woman accused of throwing a shoe at former first lady Hillary Clinton during a speech earlier this month in Las Vegas will remain in custody for the time being.

Alison Michelle Ernst, 36, Phoenix, appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, where she was arraigned on two misdemeanor counts accusing her of trespassing and violence against a person.

Ernst pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach ordered that Ernst continue to be held in detention and set a bench trial for June 25 before Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen. Additionally, Ferenbach directed the U.S. Probation Office to prepare a report for the court detailing Ernst’s criminal history.

Ernst is represented by two federal public defenders, William Carrico and Elisa Vasquez.

On April 10, Clinton was a few minutes into her keynote address at the annual convention of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries at Mandalay Bay when Ernst approached the stage and threw a Puma soccer cleat at the former secretary of state, said Brian Spellacy, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas office of the Secret Service.

Clinton ducked the shoe and was unharmed.

“Thank goodness she didn’t play softball like I did,” she quipped to loud applause.

Ernst immediately walked out of the ballroom and was surrounded by security personnel and Secret Service agents.

According to the arrest report, Ernst carried the shoe inside her purse before throwing it overhand at Clinton.

Ernst, whose booking photo shows her with short, reddish-brown hair, wore a long, platinum blond wig during the incident.

A spokesman for the recycling institute said Ernst did not have credentials for the event and slipped past security and into the ballroom where Clinton was addressing more than 1,000 people.

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