US judge dismisses January 6 case against Proud Boys after Trump order
The case is the latest instance of the Trump administration seeking to unravel prosecutions against January 6 rioters. A United States federal court has dismissed
The case is the latest instance of the Trump administration seeking to unravel prosecutions against January 6 rioters. A United States federal court has dismissed the seditious conspiracy cases against four members of the Proud Boys, the far-right group involved in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. On Friday, Judge Timothy J Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, granted the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be revived in future. But Kelly made it clear that the defendants — Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola — had been “convicted of serious offences”. He wrote in his seven-page ruling that his decision was ultimately rooted in the separation of government powers, not in the merits of the case. “As the Court has said many times, the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was a perilous event. It was an attack on people, including police officers, many of whom were injured,” Kelly wrote. “It was an attack on the Constitution’s mechanism to facilitate the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next,” he added. Inside the January 6 riot Friday’s ruling was yet another milestone in Trump’s efforts to end the prosecution of January 6 rioters. The attack on the Capitol came shortly after Trump lost his bid for re-election in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden.
But in the aftermath of his loss, Trump spread false claims that the election had been rigged. January 6, 2021, was the day Congress was scheduled to certify the Electoral College votes, confirming Trump’s defeat. His vice president at the time, Mike Pence, held a ceremonial role overseeing the certification that day. But behind the scenes, Trump reportedly pressured Pence to reject the results of the election. At midday, Trump held a “Save America” rally in front of the White House, repeating to his supporters that he had won “by a landslide”. “If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election,” Trump said at one point. At another, he said, “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Afterwards, some of his supporters marched to the Capitol and broke into the building, attacking police officers and causing millions of dollars worth of damage. Participants signalled their aim was to stop the vote certification, with some chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” The attack proved to be deadly. One rioter was shot by police as she climbed through a broken window to enter the House Speaker’s Lobby. An officer died from a stroke the following day after being beaten. Others died by suicide after the attack. Members of Congress had to be led to safety.
The BriefWire