D.C. judges express frustration about possible leniency in Capitol riot cases
By Rachel Weiner
Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT
Federal judges in Washington are questioning whether rioters who have admitted to storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 in support of President Donald Trump are being treated too leniently.
Judges are asking prosecutors why defendants aren’t paying more to cover the cost of damage to the Capitol, why the court can’t order additional supervision of many defendants beyond a brief prison term and why more do not face heftier charges.
Judges have also pressured defendants to explain why they were in the building that day and express contrition, even if their plea agreements do not require such admissions.
The friction comes from the minor role each individual played in the day’s overall horror. More than 570 people have been charged in what the Justice Department has called the largest investigation in U.S. history.
Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell has suggested more people should face the felony charge of obstructing the official certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
“Does the government . . . have any concern about deterrence?” Howell asked in one hearing after questioning whether prosecutors were truly unable to prove that a man who entered a broken window and bragged that he “stormed the Capitol” committed a more serious crime than what the government charged.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/capitol-riot-defendants-lenience/2021/08/25/6331785e-01be-11ec-ba7e-2cf966e88e93_story.html
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