The sad fact is that many of the judges in the January 6 cases were complicit in turning the judicial process into part of the punishment, and they did so not out of a sense of justice but for the plaudits of their peer group and the ruling class in DC. There was literally no reason for any of the January 6 misdemeanor defendants to spend a single minute in jail, and yet they did. These prosecutions had much more in common with the Bloody Assizes and Soviet show trials than American jurisprudence. Their purpose was not to punish the guilty but to make examples of anyone challenging the government to deter others who might have that thought.

There is also a conflict between the "back the blue" impulses of most of MAGA country and some police officials. //

I'd ask Chief Manger what message he thinks it sends to the public when one of his officers was promoted and received federal funds to improve security at his home and cash from a memorial fund after he murdered Ashli Babbitt in cold blood.

If some disciplinary action had been meted out to this cretin and the Capitol Police who brutally beat Roseanne Boyland and the officials who lied about her cause of death (see EXCLUSIVE: Investigative Journalist Lara Logan Uncovers 'The Rest of the Story' on January 6 – RedState), I might care a lot more. If they just stopped lying about police officers being killed and hospitalized on January 6 or claiming that serving that day caused three police officers to commit suicide (why would that be?), I might be more charitable. Until then, I really don't care about the morale of Capitol Hill police. //

Until some adequate explanation is provided on why Capitol Police invited protesters into the Capitol —

• Video: Capitol police open doors for the protestors. They stand aside and invite them
• January 6 Footage reveals Capitol Police acted as tour guides for Jacob Chansley

— and the role of federal agents and "confidential human sources" in escalating the conflict; I really don't care what anyone did that day any more than the FBI and Department of Justice cared about American cities being burned during the mostly peaceful George Floyd memorial rioting and looting season. //

Everyone in jail or prison in connection with January 6 should be immediately released. If Trump wants a carve-out for "violent" actions during the demonstration, that's fine as long as the Department of Justice is not involved in making that determination. Even so, those people who did not kill anyone in cold blood should get the same forbearance as a police officer who did. //

It isn't enough to free those unjustly caught up in a political prosecution that was orders of magnitude greater than any crime committed. The people who set this in motion need to be brought to justice. //

coyotewise 2 hours ago

On Jan. 20th 2017 a mass riot occurred in the Washington D.C., which included attempts to storm the White House, violence against the police lots of fires started. Yet, all criminal charges were dropped against the perpetrators of these acts.

On Jan. 6th 2021 a riot broke out at the Capitol building, after police pepper sprayed and fired rubber bullets at demonstrators. Everyone involved in this riot was searched out, rounded up and arrested. All were brought up on charges and were convicted (or plead out) of various crimes. No charges were dropped.

To the new Chief of the Capitol Police, I ask... what is so dissimilar between these two events and the people engaged that there should be unequal treatment? One could easily see where the outcomes for the rioters should be similar. Yet, one group gets a pass and the other group gets the hammer. This screams of violation of the rule of Equal Protection under the Law. //

Random US Citizen 3 hours ago edited

Look, if Biden can retroactively pardon Hunter for sex trafficking, gun running, prostitution, embezzlement, bribery, corruption, money laundering and the rest of his crimes, I think Trump can pardon J6 trespassers without it being a problem. If Biden can commute the sentences of child rapists and serial killers, Trump can pardon people accused of fake crimes against a process that wasn't actually effected. If Biden can pardon cartel members who plea bargained their violent crimes, Trump can pardon people who've been in jail for four years without access to medical care or lawyers.