Americans outraged by the storming of Capitol Hill are in for a jarring reality check: Many of those who invaded the halls of Congress on Jan. 6 are likely to get little or no jail time.
While public and media attention in recent weeks has been focused on high-profile conspiracy cases against right-wing, paramilitary groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys,
the most urgent decisions for prosecutors involve resolving scores of lower-level cases that have clogged D.C.'s federal district court.
A POLITICO analysis of the Capitol riot-related cases shows that
almost a quarter of the more than 230 defendants formally and publicly charged so far face only misdemeanors. Dozens of those arrested are awaiting formal charges, even as new cases are being unsealed nearly every day.
In recent days, judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys have all indicated that
they expect few of these "MAGA tourists" to face harsh sentences.
There are two main reasons: Although prosecutors have loaded up their charging documents with language about the existential threat of the insurrection to the republic,
the actions of many of the individual rioters often boiled down to trespassing. And judges have wrestled with how aggressively to lump those cases in with those of the more sinister suspects.
"My bet is a lot of these cases will get resolved and probably without prison time or jail time," said Erica Hashimoto, a former federal public defender who is now a law professor at Georgetown. "One of the core values of this country is that we can protest if we disagree with our government. Of course, some protests involve criminal acts,
but as long as the people who are trying to express their view do not engage in violence, misdemeanors may be more appropriate than felonies."
Comment: Even if the official was possibly facilitating criminal activities, avoiding a heavy lockdown was probably better for the local population in the long run.The northern part of Italy suffered much more under heavy restrictions.