Federal judges sound alarm as Jan. 6 arrests, sentences continue

Federal judges are expressing concern over the future of justice for January 6 defendants as Donald Trump prepares to retake office and considers pardoning the participants in the Capitol attack. This week’s arrests and sentences of more alleged offenders show effort by the Department of Justice hasn’t stopped as they continue to attempt to hold those involved accountable for the violence that disrupted American democracy.On December 18, a Texas man and a Virginia man were arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement during the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Authorities said their actions contributed to the chaos that interrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory. Earlier in the month, a South Carolina man was sentenced to prison for four misdemeanors related to the attack. On the same day, a judge sentenced a Georgia man to prison after his conviction for assaulting police officers during the riot.The ongoing arrests and sentences come nearly three years after a mob stormed the Capitol, injuring over 140 police officers—including more than 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and over 60 from Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department. The siege caused extensive damage, with losses estimated at over $2.8 million. In total, at...