Judge’s Decision To Bar Jan. 6 Rioters From D.C. & Capitol Faces Pushback From Trump Justice Department

U.S. district court judge Amit Mehta ordered Capitol rioter Stewart Rhodes and other co-defendants to be barred from entering Washington, D.C. and Capitol buildings without court permission. Rhodes, the founder of the far-right extremist organization Oath Keepers, was a central figure in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack in 2021. 

Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison, and his co-defendant, Kelly Meggs, was given 20 years. Other co-defendants faced similar sentences. Members of the Proud Boys, another far-right group, were also convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack. The former leader of Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, received the longest sentence of 22 years. Although not physically present during the attack, Tarrio orchestrated it from outside.

President Donald Trump commuted the sentences for the defendants convicted of the most serious crimes. In total, Trump issued over 1,500 pardons, including for rioters who committed violent acts, such as assaulting police officers. 

Trump referred to the convicted individuals as “hostages,” stating, “These people have been destroyed. What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. There’s rarely been anything like it in the history of our country.”

U.S. Attorney Edward Martin challenged Mehta’s decision to bar the defendants from entering Washington, D.C., arguing that Trump’s pardoning of the defendants nullifies the terms of their supervised release and probation, thereby making it unlawful to bar them. 

“If a judge decided that Jim Biden, General Mark Milley, or another individual were forbidden to visit America’s capital—even after receiving a last-minute, preemptive pardon from the former President—I believe most Americans would object,” Martin said. “The individuals referenced in our motion have had their sentences commuted – period, end of sentence.” 

Martin contends that a judge should not have the power to impose restrictions undermining the pardons.