2y ago

Prosecutors appealing length of prison sentences for Proud Boys leaders convicted of Jan. 6 plot

Prosecutors are appealing length of prison sentences for Proud Boys leaders convicted of Jan. 6 plot

The Justice Department is appealing the length of prison sentences for four Proud Boys leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy in the U.S. Capitol attack, challenging punishments that were significantly shorter than what prosecutors had recommended, according to court filings on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced former Proud Boys national leader Enrique Tarrio and three lieutenants to prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years after a jury convicted them in May of plotting to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.

Tarrio’s 22-year sentence is the longest so far among hundreds of criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, but prosecutors had sought 33 years behind bars for the Miami man.

21 comments

I dunno, it's not just the length of the prison sentences. As felons, they now have a lifetime ban on firearms which is going to hurt them more, personally, than the prison time.
And you know the minute they get out, they're going to ignore that and instantly get tapped with felon in possession and go right back in again.
- I dunno, I'm still pretty sure 16+ years of imprisonment would be worse in their opinions than not being able to legally buy guns.
- Losing decades of your life, missing births, weddings, funerals, your own personal relationships and financial gain isnt gonna hurt as much as owning a boom-boom?
  I just downright don't get gun people...
  
  Because it's not true. No one would trade half a year in jail for their gun rights. The idea is a cute little meme to make gun owners seem utterly unhinged.
- They're still gonna own guns, will just do so illegally. I've known a couple felons who have guns illegally. They're not gonna let a ban get in their way of owning tons of guns.
  
  They will however screech about how unfair it is when they get caught.
  
  "No no, those arent my 37 firearms, those belong to my wife. Of course, she has the key for the safes, which means I don't have constructive possession of them"
That's the only appealing thing about these people....
- The prosecutors are the ones appealing. They want the sentence to be longer. Since they’re the ones prosecuting these scumbags, there is a lot of appealing things about them.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is appealing the length of prison sentences for four Proud Boys leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy in the U.S. Capitol attack, challenging punishments that were significantly shorter than what prosecutors had recommended, according to court filings.
Tarrio’s 22-year sentence is the longest so far among hundreds of criminal cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, but prosecutors had sought 33 years behind bars for the Miami man.
Nicholas Smith, Nordean’s attorney, said in an email that his client “is encouraged by the government’s agreement that errors led to the judgment and sentence in his case.”
Also on Monday, a Proud Boys member who joined others from the far-right group in attacking the Capitol pleaded guilty to obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying the victory by Biden, a Democrat, over Trump, a Republican.
Chrestman and other Proud Boys moved past a toppled metal barricade and joined other rioters in front of another police barrier.
Chrestman also pointed his finger at a line of Capitol police officers, gestured at them with his axe handle and threatened to assault them if they fired “pepper ball” rounds at the crowd of rioters, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea.
The original article contains 710 words, the summary contains 211 words. Saved 70%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
How successful are these appeals generally? I'd imagine an appeal court doesn't want to really step in unless there's a major problem with the judge's reasoning since they weren't there for the case and aren't looking to retry it.
- IIRC the sentences were well below the sentencing guidelines for the charges and far below what prosecutors requested. Depending on which judges are paneled, there's a fair chance they'll at least be increased to lengths in the guidelines.
  IMO sentences should be "conscript into UA for front-line assault" since they want to be patriotic heroes, but I guess that might be considered unconstitutional by someone.
  
  Conscripting prisoners is a very Russian approach to criminal justice.

21 comments