The 1954 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Puerto Rican nationalists, seeking independence for their homeland, has gained renewed significance as the Justice Department has prosecuted Jan. 6 insurrectionists using the same statute. The violent events of 1954, which injured five congressmen, were aimed at drawing attention to Puerto Rico's status and pressuring the U.S. government for independence. The case has parallels to the Jan. 6 insurrection, with both episodes involving violent acts seeking political outcomes and interfering with official proceedings in the Capitol. The 1954 case has been cited in high-profile Jan. 6 prosecutions, highlighting its continued impact on American democracy.
Three years after the January 6 Capitol riot, the U.S. justice system continues to prosecute those involved, with over 1,200 defendants charged and significant sentences handed down to key figures like Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leader Erique Tarrio. As the trial of former President Donald Trump approaches, with charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, the Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of this charge. Meanwhile, investigators are still seeking over 80 violent offenders and the individual who planted pipe bombs near party headquarters. The events continue to shape the nation's legal and political landscape, with the judiciary sending clear messages about the gravity of the attack on democracy.
The Lok Sabha has passed three bills aimed at reforming India's criminal justice system, replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Evidence Act. Union Home Minister Amit Shah explained that the new laws prioritize crimes affecting the human body, national security, and electoral offenses. The bills also redefine terrorism and turn sedition into treason, focusing on activities against the integrity, sovereignty, and unity of the nation. The proposed laws include provisions for trial in absentia, increased accountability for police, and stricter punishments for crimes against women and minors. Shah stated that the bills were shaped by considering suggestions from various stakeholders, and the changes aim to modernize and strengthen the country's criminal laws.
The Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, has passed three key Bills aimed at overhauling the country's criminal laws. The Bills include provisions such as expanding detention in police custody, bringing terror, corruption, and organized crime under ordinary legislation, and decriminalizing homosexuality and adultery. The Bills will replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act. Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the provisions of the Bills, including changes in sedition laws and the definition of terrorism, and emphasized the government's commitment to national security. The Bills were passed despite the absence of opposition members, who were suspended from the House.
A 23-year-old Hong Kong student, Yuen Ching-ting, has been sentenced to two months in prison for "seditious" social media posts made while studying in Japan. Yuen pleaded guilty to sedition for 13 posts, the majority of which were made in Japan, while two were made in Hong Kong. The case highlights the reach of Hong Kong's laws beyond its borders.
Representative Mike Johnson, a low-profile Louisiana congressman, played a key role in making sedition palatable for Republicans during the Electoral College objections on January 6th. He presented a "third option" that allowed lawmakers to object to the election results based on what he called "constitutional infirmity" without explicitly endorsing Trump's fraud allegations. While some saw it as a way to vote with the president while hiding behind a more defensible case, Johnson claimed his objective was not to overturn the election but to address concerns about unconstitutional changes to voting procedures.
Joe Biggs, a leader of the far-right Proud Boys, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the US Capitol riot. Biggs, a US Army veteran and former Infowars correspondent, was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors described him as an "instigator" of the storming of Congress on 6 January 2021. In court, Biggs expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency. The sentence is below federal guidelines and the 33 years sought by prosecutors. Other Proud Boys members are also facing sentencing for their involvement in the riot.
Former Proud Boys leader Joe Biggs has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol. Biggs, convicted of seditious conspiracy, was described by prosecutors as a vocal leader and influential proponent of the group's shift towards political violence. The government had sought a 33-year prison sentence, but the judge accepted a recommendation for 17 years. Biggs' sentence is the second longest for any defendant charged in connection with the Capitol attack. Another Proud Boys leader, Enrique Tarrio, is set to be sentenced next week.
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and three other members of the far-right group have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the January 6 Capitol riot. Prosecutors are seeking sentences of 20 to 33 years for the convicted members, arguing that they organized and directed a force to attack the heart of democracy. The Proud Boys, known for their white nationalist, antisemitic, and anti-LGBT+ rhetoric, have been linked to violence and threats against various groups. The convictions mark a significant victory for the US Department of Justice's investigation into the Capitol riot, which has resulted in over 1,000 arrests and 700 convictions.
Four Oath Keepers have been sentenced to 3 to 4.5 years in prison for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, including seditious conspiracy and obstructing Congress. The sentences are far less than the 10- to 17-year terms sought by the government. The defendants brought firearms to the Washington area and were part of an armed “quick reaction force” in case Trump invoked “the Insurrection Act” and mobilized the military and private militia to remain in power. The judge rejected claims that they were simply protesting peacefully and called using violence against the government a “line that cannot be crossed.”
Two members of the Oath Keepers militia, David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett, were sentenced to less than four years in prison for seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The judge diverged from federal guidelines and issued lighter sentences than prosecutors had sought. The prison terms were a marked contrast to the ones handed down to the group’s leader and one of his deputies. The judge stressed that even those who had not directly engaged in violence had increased the chaos during the riot by descending on the Capitol as an organized militia.
Two more members of the Oath Keepers, David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett, were sentenced to three years and three years and six months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Both were convicted of conspiring to commit sedition against the United States and disrupting the electoral college certification. The sentences were a fraction of the recommendation from prosecutors who said Moerschel and Hackett each deserved 10 and 12 years, respectively. Eight Oath Keeper defendants have been sentenced over the past two weeks, including founder Stewart Rhodes, who received 18 years in prison.
Roberto Minuta, a member of the far-right Oath Keepers militant group, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Minuta's sentencing comes a week after Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for similar charges. Minuta expressed regret for his behavior and disavowed the Oath Keepers. His co-defendant, Edward Vallejo, is due to be sentenced later on Thursday.
Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in a seditious conspiracy to instigate the pro-Trump violence of Jan. 6. The sentencing marks a landmark moment of accountability for the Capitol attack, with more people convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6 than any other criminal event since the statute was enacted during the Civil War. The prosecution of Mr. Rhodes stood out in a way that the judge who sentenced him articulated in court on Thursday.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia Oath Keepers, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the US Capitol riot. Rhodes was convicted on charges of seditious conspiracy and other crimes, making his sentence the longest yet given to a Capitol rioter. Meanwhile, Kelly Meggs, the leader of the militia's Florida chapter, was jailed for 12 years. Prosecutors had asked for 25 years for Rhodes and 21 years for Meggs.
