U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth condemned the depiction by Trump and Republican allies of Jan. 6 defendants as “political prisoners” and “hostages.” Lamberth also denounced attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the justice system for punishing rioters who broke the law when they invaded the Capitol.
“In my 37 years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream,” Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in a recent ruling. The judge added he “fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country.”
As Trump floats potential pardons for rioters if he returns to the White House, judges overseeing the more than 1,200 Jan. 6 criminal cases in Washington’s federal court are using their platform to try to set the record straight concerning distortions about an attack that was broadcast live on television. A growing number of defendants appear to be embracing rhetoric spread by Trump, giving defiant speeches in court, repeating his false election claims and portraying themselves as patriots.
They absolutely are political prisoners! By strict technical definition.
However, the fact of the matter remains that they committed crimes knowingly, knowing fully well that their political beliefs do not pardon their insurrection or their crimes.
You know, when you try to pull off an insurrection and you absolutely and utterly fail at it, you gotta expect there to be some consequences. Thank goodness America isn’t an absolute dictatorship which would put dissidents to death. The punishment at least fits the crimes of each one of them. They get a fair trial and everything. What more could a criminal reasonably ask for?
I don’t feel sorry for the yahoos who gathered on Jan 6th and caused mass chaos. I feel like if the feds rounded them up; they probably did something undeniably stupid.
Plenty of people who “Showed up” for the January 6th protest who actually stayed out of the way and did not engage in the rioting and such actually don’t happen to be in jail…they were released at least 3 months later after nobody could find anything to charge them with. It’s part of how the justice system works.
They had to know they would all have to be rounded up after the chaos and be sorted out. Hell; if they were smart, they left when things got hot and heavy and didn’t get arrested at all, and at worst only had to speak to the FBI or the cops a little bit to prove they didn’t join in the chaos.
It’s not a crime for them to have been there protesting. The crimes were all the people breaking into the building(s) and trying to interfere with the process. Trying to terrorize and intimidate chosen people who were working to certify the election; which by the way; Trump lost. Unfortunately the protestors do not get to decide who our president is. The election does. It’s democracy.
Unfortunately a small group of people got a little too salty about losing.