A California man who cracked the face shield of one police officer, unloaded pepper spray on others and bludgeoned countless officers with poles, boards and even his feet was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, the longest sentence handed down to any participant in the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors called David Dempsey "political violence personified," and U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth agreed, saying that even on a day that "will be seared into our nation's memory as a bloodbath," Dempsey's conduct was "exceptionally egregious."
Only a handful of other Jan. 6 rioters without ties to extremist groups have faced sentences of 10 or more years. They include Peter Schwartz, who had a similarly long rap sheet and received a 14-year sentence; Daniel "D.J." Rodriguez, who drove a taser into the neck of D.C. police officer Michael Fanone; and Thomas Webster, a retired NYPD officer who attempted to gouge the eyes of a D.C. police officer during a particularly vicious brawl.
A few months back: "Claims that Jan. 6 rioters are political prisoners' endure. Judges want to set the record straight."
While sentencing a North Carolina man to prison for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, a Republican-appointed judge issued a stark warning: Efforts to portray the mob of Donald Trump's supporters as heroes and play down the violence that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2021, pose a serious threat to the nation.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth condemned the depiction by Trump and Republican allies of Jan. 6 defendants as "political prisoners" and "hostages." Lamberth also denounced attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the justice system for punishing rioters who broke the law when they invaded the Capitol.
"In my 37 years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream," Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in a recent ruling. The judge added he "fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country."
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