The trial of Michael Gorbey, the man accused of carrying a shotgun near the Capitol, got under way in D.C. Superior Court today, with Gorbey arguing that the government is conspiring against him.

Prosecutors objected several times to Gorbey’s statements, and D.C. Superior Court Judge Gregory Jackson sustained most of them — though that didn’t stop Gorbey from repeating his beliefs. The government, said Gorbey, who has insisted on representing himself, “cheats and lies to cover up other lies.”

Before the lunchtime recess, Jackson warned Gorbey that a government-wide conspiracy is not a defense.

The trial of Gorbey, who was arrested on Jan. 18 and faces 14 individual weapons charges, began late Monday afternoon; opening statements began Tuesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cummings provided a timeline of events on the day of Gorbey’s arrest, while Gorbey, who followed 20 minutes later, asserted that there was a “legal conspiracy against the defendant.”

The trial is expected to continue at least through next week.

— Emily Yehle