A Washington state man who used a megaphone to orchestrate a mob’s attack on police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Wednesday to more than seven years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said videos captured Taylor James Johnatakis playing a leadership role during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Johnatakis led other rioters on a charge against a police line, “barked commands” over his megaphone and shouted step-by-step directions for overpowering officers, the judge said.
“In any angry mob, there are leaders and there are followers. Mr. Johnatakis was a leader. He knew what he was doing that day,” the judge said before sentencing him to seven years and three months behind bars.
Johnatakis, who represented himself with an attorney on standby, has repeatedly expressed rhetoric that appears to be inspired by the anti-government “ sovereign citizen ” movement. He asked the judge questions at his sentencing, including, “Does the record reflect that I repent in my sins?”
A planned organized attack on the police, in a situation where officers were actually harmed and even killed, in an attempt to overthrow the legally elected government.
And he gets off with only 7 years? Sounds cheap to me. I wonder why USA hasn’t more coup attempts, when the leaders get off that cheap?
Good thing for him he didn’t vote while on probation! Because that shit is for sure a serious attack on democracy! And must be punished HARD.That woman recently had her case dropped.
Yes after posting bail originally, and having it hanging over her head for 7 years. And it doesn’t change the fact that some judge found it fitting to judge her to 5 years for something that should be her right in a democracy.
At least it was corrected, but it was an insane sentence, that should never have been allowed to stand for 7 years.
Incidentally she was on probation for cheating on her taxes, but Trump is still considered eligible for President, despite also cheating on his taxes.
These MAGA idiots all get off easy.
Good
I’m just going to drop off this document about federal drug trafficking penalties that people who didn’t try to overthrow the government would get sentenced with and how much they have to have in their possession…
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Trafficking Penalties.pdf
Getting caught with 10 grams of blow is, of course, way worse than being a front figure in an attempt to overthrow the government. /s
Don’t smuggle drugs kids, but attempts to take over the country can be made at your leisure.
Prosecutors chose not to charge him with sedition. Blame them for being cowards.
Johnatakis, who represented himself with an attorney on standby, has repeatedly expressed rhetoric that appears to be inspired by the anti-government “ sovereign citizen ” movement.
Guy: “I want to represent myself.”
Guy’s attorney: “That’s probably not a good idea.”
Guy: “I’ve got this.”
He asked the judge questions at his sentencing, including, “Does the record reflect that I repent in my sins?”
Judge: “Sir, are you sure that you don’t want your attorney to handle this?”
Guy: “Don’t try to suppress me!”
The guy represents himself and still managed to get just 7 years.
Idk…seems like he did alright.
Imagine how much less he’d get with a legal professional though
It depends, if you spew the sovcit stuff confidently enough you can get off with nothing sometimes. If this guy had a jury trial, it’s probably worth the shot.
It’s worth giving the judge’s letter a read. He had this distributed to all the people that wrote in on the defendant’s behalf, since many people thought he was a good person and did nothing wrong. The judge set the record straight: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227212/gov.uscourts.dcd.227212.272.0.pdf
"In any angry mob, there are leaders and there are followers. Mr. Johnatakis was a leader. He knew what he was doing that day. On January 5, he posted on social media: “[B]urn the city down. What the British did to DC will be nothing . . .”
This guy is a real piece of shit. 7 years for leading an attempted coup is a joke. This moron doesn’t regret what he did. He regrets that it didn’t succeed.
It obviously does not give anyone the right to assault the police. Nor was the January 6 riot an act of civil disobedience, because it was violent, not peaceful; opportunistic, not principled; coercive, not persuasive; and selfish, not patriotic.
Damn…no notes.
So how do Trump’s voters want to view him? Undercover antifa, or “Jan 6th hostage.”
Or are we sticking with “yes” to both of those?
Fucked around and found out
That doesn’t sound as much as I would expect for this. But good anyway!
why more than monkey torture man
Ok. Now, do the guy with the largest megaphone in the world.
If only they’d arrest the guy who planned and executed the attack as president at the time
The sovcit people are the best example of what no education, isolation, and religion can do to a person.
They make people who have no grasp on reality and therefore are easy to manipulate through simple messaging, memes, and the internet.
Perfect for foreign and domestic terrorist organizations to use as they please.
Remember folks, stamp out ignorance wherever you see it. Be vigilant. This is an election year and these dirtbags are going to crop up everywhere come August.
What of the ‘natural person’ who incited this riot? I can’t wait to see the penalties he will receive.
