More than a hundred people convicted of the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, carried out by supporters of former US President Donald Trump, may have their sentences shortened after a decision taken by an appeals court this Friday -Friday (1st).
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals said defendants who were accused of obstructing the work of the U.S. Congress should not have been sentenced to broader sentences for interfering with the “administration of justice.”
The ruling upheld the conviction of Larry Brock, a former Air Force member who wore combat gear and handcuffs when he and other Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, but ordered him to be resentenced.
The decision, reached 3-0 by the panel, could force Washington district judges to recalculate and possibly shorten the losses of other protesters accused of obstruction crimes.
In an email, the US Department of Justice declined to comment on the decision, but said the cases of more than 100 defendants could be affected. Brock's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on the case next month when it hears arguments over whether the Jan. 6 protesters can be charged with obstructing an official proceeding.
This decision could also affect Trump, who faces accusations of obstruction in the indictment that accuses him of trying to remain in power despite his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, current US president, in the 2020 election.
Source: CNN Brasil
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