Justice Department moves to toss conspiracy convictions for Jan. 6 rioters
TL;DR
The Justice Department is seeking to overturn the seditious conspiracy convictions of leaders from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers involved in the January 6 Capitol attack. This move comes as part of an appeal process regarding their prison sentences.
Key points
- Justice Department seeks to overturn seditious conspiracy convictions
- Involves Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders
- Related to January 6 Capitol attack
- Appeal process initiated for their prison sentences
Mentioned in this story
With the White House in the background, President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Donald Trump in office over five years ago.
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Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders last January in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase all the convictions for extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who didn't receive pardons last January.
The move to abandon the convictions represented a stunning reversal from the Biden administration, which hailed the guilty verdicts as a crucial victory in its bid to hold accountable those responsible for what prosecutors described as an attack on the heart of American democracy. It's part of the Trump administration's continued efforts to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack and downplay the violence carried out by the mob of Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured.
In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.
"The government's motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants," prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Juries in Washington, D.C., convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump's 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
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The department's dismissal request also includes the convictions of Oath Keepers members Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins and Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.
Other extremist group members, including former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, received pardons from Trump on the first day of his second term in the White House.
Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he and several lieutenants were convicted in one of the most consequential cases arising from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.
Prosecutors said Rhodes and his followers stockpiled guns for possible use by "quick reaction force" teams at a Virginia hotel, but they never deployed the weapons.
Nordean's attorney, Nicholas Smith, said they are grateful to the Justice Department for its "wise decision" in seeking dismissal of the convictions.
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"We don't want a precedent that says that any physical confrontation between protesters and law enforcement means a crime akin to treason, such as seditious conspiracy," Smith said.
Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was dragged into the mob and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, was disappointed but not surprised by the latest milestone in the dismantling of Capitol riot prosecutions.
"I would remind Americans that these were traitors to this country," Fanone said. "They planned, incited and carried out an insurrection."
Q&A
Why is the Justice Department trying to overturn the January 6 conspiracy convictions?
The Justice Department believes the seditious conspiracy convictions of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders should be dismissed, prompting the appeal.
Who are the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers involved in the January 6 attack?
The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are far-right extremist groups whose leaders were convicted for leading the attack on the U.S. Capitol to support Donald Trump's presidency.
What were the sentences given to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders?
The leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers received prison terms for their roles in the January 6 Capitol attack, although specific sentence lengths are not detailed in the excerpt.
What impact could the Justice Department's appeal have on future cases related to January 6?
If successful, the appeal could set a precedent affecting the convictions of other individuals involved in the January 6 events and influence how similar cases are prosecuted.
