Sweeping pardons issued for Jan. 6 defendants; some released from DC jail
Sweeping pardons issued for Jan. 6 defendants
Several people were released from the D.C. Central Detention Facility Monday night after President Donald Trump vowed to pardon, commute the prison sentences, or dismiss the cases of all 1,500-plus individuals charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
WASHINGTON - Several people were released from the D.C. Central Detention Facility on Monday night after President Donald Trump vowed to pardon, commute the prison sentences, or dismiss the cases of all 1,500-plus individuals charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
Trump grants sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 defendants
As soon as Trump signaled during his inauguration speech that pardons were imminent, dozens of people wearing Trump gear and waving American flags flocked to the city's main jail.
Some supporters waited outside the facility during the night. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick said some are still being held before trial and there is a process to have their charges dismissed.
The order issued just hours after his return to the White House on Monday, paves the way for the release of individuals found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of failed plots to keep him in power after losing the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.
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January 6 defendants speak with FOX 5 about Trump pardons
Several people were released from the D.C. Central Detention Facility Monday night after President Donald Trump vowed to pardon, commute the prison sentences, or dismiss the cases of all 1,500-plus individuals charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick has the latest.
In the weeks leading up to his return to the White House, President Donald Trump suggested that he would review the Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis rather than issuing blanket pardons. Vice President JD Vance had also stated recently that those responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot "obviously" should not be pardoned, according to the Associated Press.
However, on Monday, Trump commuted the sentences of fourteen defendants, including several convicted of seditious conspiracy. The remaining individuals found guilty of Jan. 6 crimes were granted "full, complete and unconditional" pardons.
"Well, January 6 was a complex day"
"Well, January 6 was a complex day, and I think we need to continue to investigate it there’s a lot we don’t know," said William Pope, a January 6 defendant who Alnwick spoke to outside the jail early Tuesday morning.
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"I’m actually hopeful that defendants can have dialogue with Capitol Police in the future and better understand each other. I’m not charged with violence, I was entirely peaceful, but I do think we need to have conversations and then we can get to a point of unity, and hopefully, you know unify as a country. Come together," he said.
Pope and his brother were charged with civil disobedience and other offenses but successfully argued to have their cases delayed.
More than 100 police officers were injured in the riot. Democrat leaders condemned the blanket pardons as did many police officers who were hurt defending the capitol that day.
Trump also ordered the attorney general to seek the dismissal of about 450 cases that are still pending.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and FOX 5 reports