Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
More than 855 arrested. Here is where the Jan 6. prosecutions stand.
PoliticoEighteen months since a pro-Trump mob ransacked the Capitol and disrupted the peaceful transition of presidential power, prosecutors are closing in on another milestone: 900 arrests.
According to the latest Justice Department figures, more than 855 members of that crowd are facing charges that range from trespassing on restricted grounds to seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors estimate that more than 2,000 people actually entered the Capitol unlawfully that day, which means hundreds more arrests are likely in the months to come.
For a year and a half, the justice system has been slowly grinding through those cases, which have taken on increasing complexity as the House Jan. 6 select committee reveals new details about then-President Donald Trump’s own role in fomenting the events of that day.
So far, 325 defendants have pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from the breach of the Capitol, the vast majority to misdemeanor crimes. But the most crucial tests of the Justice Department’s work are still to come. The ongoing hearings of the Jan. 6 panel have produced compelling testimony that points toward Trump’s knowledge of the potential for violence, and the trials of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — groups accused of conspiring to violently prevent the transfer of power — are still months away.
According to the latest Justice Department figures, more than 855 members of that crowd are facing charges that range from trespassing on restricted grounds to seditious conspiracy. Prosecutors estimate that more than 2,000 people actually entered the Capitol unlawfully that day, which means hundreds more arrests are likely in the months to come.
For a year and a half, the justice system has been slowly grinding through those cases, which have taken on increasing complexity as the House Jan. 6 select committee reveals new details about then-President Donald Trump’s own role in fomenting the events of that day.
So far, 325 defendants have pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from the breach of the Capitol, the vast majority to misdemeanor crimes. But the most crucial tests of the Justice Department’s work are still to come. The ongoing hearings of the Jan. 6 panel have produced compelling testimony that points toward Trump’s knowledge of the potential for violence, and the trials of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — groups accused of conspiring to violently prevent the transfer of power — are still months away.
DOJ’s perfect jury trial record
Eight Jan. 6 defendants have faced jurors on felony charges stemming from their involvement in the attack on the Capitol, choosing that rather than taking plea deals offered by the Justice Department. All of them have been convicted on every charge to date, whether it was former New York City Police Officer Thomas Webster, who was charged with assaulting an officer, or Dustin Thompson, who was charged with attempting to obstruct Congress’ work to certify the election and ransacking the Senate parliamentarian’s office in the process.
The results have led to protests from Trump supporters that the D.C. jury pool is simply too biased against those facing Jan. 6-related charges to reach fair verdicts. But some judges have swept away those arguments, pointing to the overwhelming evidence that the Justice Department has brought to bear in these cases — including video recordings of the defendants’ actions, eyewitness accounts from the officers who fended them off and the boasts many rioters shared on social media.
The only acquittals have been courtesy of a single judge: U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden. Two defendants opted to waive their rights to a jury trial and try their hand with McFadden, who has been notably skeptical of the Justice Department’s treatment of misdemeanor Jan. 6 defendants. The Trump appointee acquitted defendant Matthew Martin on all four counts against him, contending that Martin might have reasonably believed the Capitol Police had permitted him access to the building. He also acquitted defendant Couy Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner, on one of the two charges he faced for crossing into restricted Capitol grounds and remaining for hours.
Eight Jan. 6 defendants have faced jurors on felony charges stemming from their involvement in the attack on the Capitol, choosing that rather than taking plea deals offered by the Justice Department. All of them have been convicted on every charge to date, whether it was former New York City Police Officer Thomas Webster, who was charged with assaulting an officer, or Dustin Thompson, who was charged with attempting to obstruct Congress’ work to certify the election and ransacking the Senate parliamentarian’s office in the process.
The results have led to protests from Trump supporters that the D.C. jury pool is simply too biased against those facing Jan. 6-related charges to reach fair verdicts. But some judges have swept away those arguments, pointing to the overwhelming evidence that the Justice Department has brought to bear in these cases — including video recordings of the defendants’ actions, eyewitness accounts from the officers who fended them off and the boasts many rioters shared on social media.
The only acquittals have been courtesy of a single judge: U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden. Two defendants opted to waive their rights to a jury trial and try their hand with McFadden, who has been notably skeptical of the Justice Department’s treatment of misdemeanor Jan. 6 defendants. The Trump appointee acquitted defendant Matthew Martin on all four counts against him, contending that Martin might have reasonably believed the Capitol Police had permitted him access to the building. He also acquitted defendant Couy Griffin, a New Mexico county commissioner, on one of the two charges he faced for crossing into restricted Capitol grounds and remaining for hours.
19 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
