DAY 1,213Held in Russia since June 6, 2023PressOfficialsTake action
DAY 1,213Michael "Travis" Leake · American citizen · U.S. Air Force veteran
Finding 10

The judge who approved the search tried the case

The judge who ruled the search of his apartment lawful on June 9, 2023 was the judge who tried him.

Three days after the search, a judge of the Khamovnichesky District Court signed the order declaring it lawful. Thirteen months later the same judge presided at trial and, on July 18, 2024, sentenced Travis to 13 years in a strict-regime colony.

The defense was asking him to disbelieve evidence he had already approved.

Source: Court file, Vol. 1, l.d. 109 [PDF pp. 134-136]; defense closing, pp. 1, 5.

Cite this

Free Travis Leake, "Finding 10: The judge who approved the search tried the case," https://freetravisleake.com/the-case/10-judge-approved-search/, updated September 30, 2026.