Jan. 6 Capitol rioters still being charged. Will that end when Trump pardons the insurrectionists?
On Friday, January 17, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the arrest of an Arkansas man for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other offenses related to his alleged conduct during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
James Edward Porter, 59, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was charged with felony offenses of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
In addition to the felonies, Porter is charged with several misdemeanor offenses, including knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.
This latest alleged insurrectionist has been charged with criminal offenses mirroring many others that have already been charged and even imprisoned. In the 48 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,583 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 600 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. And the FBI is still looking into others that participated in the January 6 melee that have yet to be tracked down.
According to the News Journal, President-elect Donald Trump’s second impeachment by the House came as the result of his active “role in the insurrection, and federal criminal charges were filed against him, although they were dropped upon his successful re-election.” The News Journal went on to share that Trump has repeatedly pledged to pardon what he has referred to as unfairly treated “political prisoners” and “hostages” as soon as he can once he is back in the White House, saying again earlier this month that he planned to issue “major pardons” for the January 6 rioters.
If Trump does issue a blanket presidential pardon for the January 6 insurrectionists, the Arkansas man charged on Friday may be one of the very last arrests made for the violent criminal acts that went down that fateful day in the U.S. Capitol. His pardon would most likely make all other outstanding investigations in the Capitol riot case moot.
The hope of many, including this writer, is that if Trump does issue a pardon, it would be directed at the nonviolent offenders who participated in some way in the January 6 riot.
If Trump grants blanket pardons, as expected at least for nonviolent offenders charged in the 2021 Capitol siege, the judiciary’s role in overseeing the cases would end immediately. If Trump were to also pardon violent offenders and seditious conspirators, those who are serving prison time could be released from federal custody. ~ CNN
Even though Trump clearly instigated the riot and stood idly by for hours watching it on TV before finally being forced to intervene, those that have been charged with violent offenses at his behest should not be receiving any pardons. The violence on January 6 went down inside and outside of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Criminal charges associated with the rioters include:
- assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers or Capitol employees,
- causing serious bodily injury to an officer or using a deadly or dangerous weapon,
- assaulting a member of the media or destroying their equipment,
- destruction of government property,
- theft of government property,
- corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding or attempting to do so, and,
- conspiracy, including conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, conspiracy to injure an officer, or some combination.
In the 48 months since January 6, 2021, more than 1,583 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 600 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The federal investigations remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
For more on Trump’s promise to pardon the January 6 Capitol rioters, see the video accompanying this article.
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(Source: FBI)
(Cover photo: Trump Inaugural portrait, Image credit: Presidential Transition Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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