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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 13 December 2021

Capitol rioters’ social media posts influencing sentencings

Judge James Boasberg singled
out that post as an “aggravat- Judge Jackson gave Andrew
ing” factor weighing in favor Wrigley a history lesson be-
of house arrest instead of a fore she sentenced the Penn-
fully probationary sentence. sylvania man to 18 months of
probation. Wrigley posted a
“The cornerstone of our photo on social media of him
democratic republic is the holding a 1776 flag during
peaceful transfer of power af- the riot. The judge said the
ter elections,” the judge told gesture didn’t honor the na-
Bennett. “What you and oth- tion’s founders.
ers did on January 6th was
nothing less than an attempt “The point of 1776 was to let
to undermine that system of the people decide who would
government.” rule them. But the point of
the attack on the Capitol was
Senior Judge Reggie Walton to stop that from happening,”
noted that Lori Ann Vin- Jackson said. “The point of
son publicly expressed pride the attack on the Capitol was
in her actions at the Capitol to subvert democracy, to sub-
during television news inter- stitute the will of the people
views and on Facebook. with the will of the mob.”

“I understand that sometimes Videos captured New Jer-
emotions get in the way and sey gym owner Scott Fair-
people do and say stupid lamb punching a police of-
things, because it was ridicu- ficer outside the Capitol.
lous what was said. But does His Facebook and Instagram
that justify me giving a prison posts showed he was pre-
sentence or a jail sentence? pared to commit violence in
(AP) - For many riot- naed from social media plat- memos say defendants also That’s a hard question for me Washington, D.C., and had
ers who stormed the U.S. forms. Prosecutors use the should be judged by whether to ask,” Walton said. no remorse for his actions,
Capitol on Jan. 6, self- posts to build cases. Judge they engaged in any violence prosecutors said.
incriminating messages, now are citing defendants’ or damaged property, wheth- Prosecutors asked for a one-
photos and videos that words and images as factors er they destroyed evidence, month jail sentence for Vin- Senior Judge Royce Lam-
they broadcast on social weighing in favor of tougher how long they spent in- son, but the judge sentenced berth said other rioters in
media before, during and sentences. side the Capitol, where they the Kentucky nurse to five Fairlamb’s position would be
after the insurrection are went inside the building and years of probation and or- “well advised” to join him in
influencing even their As of Friday, more than 50 whether they have shown dered her to pay a $5,000 fine pleading guilty.
criminal sentences. people have been sentenced sincere remorse. and perform 120 hours of
for federal crimes related to community service. “You couldn’t have beat this
Earlier this month, U.S. Dis- the insurrection. In at least Prosecutors recommended if you went to trial on the evi-
trict Judge Amy Jackson read 28 of those cases, prosecutors probation for Indiana hair sa- In the case of Felipe Marquez, dence that I saw,” Lamberth
aloud some of Russell Peter- factored a defendant’s social lon owner Dona Sue Bissey, the judge found social media said before sentencing Fair-
son’s posts about the riot be- media posts into their re- but Judge Tanya Chutkan posts belied serious men- lamb to 41 months in prison.
fore she sentenced the Penn- quests for stricter sentences, sentenced her to two weeks tal health issues that needed
sylvania man to 30 days im- according to an Associated in jail for her participation treatment rather than incar- But it worked to the advan-
prisonment. “Overall I had Press review of court records. in the riot. The judge noted ceration. Marquez recorded tage of one. Virginia charter
fun lol,” Peterson posted on that Bisssey posted a screen- cellphone videos of himself boat captain Jacob Hiles like-
Facebook. Many rioters used social shot of a Twitter post that with other rioters inside the ly avoided a stricter sentence
media to celebrate the vio- read, “This is the First time office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, by posting videos and photos
The judge told Peterson that lence or spew hateful rheto- the U.S. Capitol had been D-Ore. Back at home in of him and his cousin at the
his posts made it “extraor- ric. Others used it to spread breached since it was attacked Florida, Marquez posted a Capitol. A day after the riot,
dinarily difficult” for her to misinformation, promote by the British in 1814.” YouTube video in which he Hiles received a private Face-
show him leniency. baseless conspiracy theories rapped about his riot experi- book message from a Capitol
or play down their actions. “When Ms. Bissey got home, ence to the tune of Shaggy’s police officer who said he
“The ’lol’ particularly stuck Prosecutors also have ac- she was not struck with re- “It Wasn’t Me.” with lyrics agreed with Hiles’ “political
in my craw because, as I hope cused a few defendants of morse or regret for what she that included, “We even fist- stance” and encouraged him
you’ve come to understand, trying to destroy evidence by had done,” Chutkan said. bumped police,” and “We to delete his incriminating
nothing about January 6th deleting posts. “She is celebrating and brag- were taking selfies.” posts, according to prosecu-
was funny,” Jackson added. ging about her participation tors.
“No one locked in a room, Approximately 700 people in what amounted to an at- In the video, Marquez wore
cowering under a table for have been charged with fed- tempted overthrow of the a T-shirt that said, “Property The officer, Michael Angelo
hours, was laughing.” eral crimes related to the government.” of FBI.” Riley, deleted his communi-
riot. About 150 of them have cations with Hiles, but inves-
Among the biggest takeaways pleaded guilty. More than 20 FBI agents obtained a search Prosecutors had recom- tigators recovered the mes-
so far from the Justice De- defendants have been sen- warrant for Andrew Ryan mended a four-month jail sages from Hiles’ Facebook
partment’s prosecution of the tenced to jail or prison terms Bennett’s Facebook account sentence, but U.S. District account, prosecutors said.
insurrection is how large a or to time already served be- after getting a tip that the Judge Rudolph Contreras Riley was indicted in Octo-
role social media has played, hind bars. Over a dozen oth- Maryland man live-streamed sentenced him instead to ber on obstruction charges.
with much of the most ers received home confine- video from inside the Capi- three months of home con-
damning evidence coming ment sentences. tol. Two days before the riot, finement with mental-health On Monday, Jackson sen-
from rioters’ own words and Bennett posted a Facebook treatment, followed by pro- tenced Hiles to two years of
videos. Rioters’ statements, in per- message that said, “You better bation. “I do think you have probation. Prosecutors said
son or on social media, aren’t be ready chaos is coming and some serious issues you need the case against Riley may
FBI agents have identified the only consideration for I will be in DC on 1/6/2021 to address. That played a have been impossible with-
scores of rioters from public prosecutors or judges. Jus- fighting for my freedom!.” large role in my sentencing out Hiles’ cooperation.
posts and records subpoe- tice Department sentencing decision,” he said.