{"id":2336794,"date":"2024-09-04T17:07:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T21:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jan-6-prisoner-gets-his-sentence-reduced-thanks-to-supreme-court-ruling\/"},"modified":"2024-09-04T17:10:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T21:10:44","slug":"jan-6-prisoner-gets-his-sentence-reduced-thanks-to-supreme-court-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jan-6-prisoner-gets-his-sentence-reduced-thanks-to-supreme-court-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"Jan. 6 Prisoner Gets His Sentence Reduced Thanks to Supreme Court Ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjan-6-prisoner-gets-his-sentence-reduced-thanks-to-supreme-court-ruling%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2336794&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-sheriffs-tell-newsom-they-wont-enforce-covid-curfew\/\" title=\"California Sheriffs Tell Newsom They Won&#039;t Enforce COVID Curfew\">police officer<\/a> from Virginia, Thomas Robertson, \u200cwho participated in the January 6, \u200b2021, Capitol riot, had his prison sentence reduced from over \u200dseven years to six years following a recent U.S. Supreme \u2064Court ruling. This Supreme Court decision limited \u2063the government&#8217;s ability to apply a federal \u200cobstruction law, requiring proof of attempts to tamper with or destroy \u200ddocuments to pursue such charges. Robertson\u200d was\u200c the first\u2064 Capitol riot defendant to benefit from \u200bthis ruling, as his obstruction conviction was dismissed during his re-sentencing hearing. Though prosecutors sought to keep the original sentence, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided on\u2063 the lighter term, allowing\u2064 Robertson\u2064 to express regret for \u200chis actions\u200d on \u200dthat day and \u200dlook forward to\u200c rebuilding his life. His\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-cannon-issues-ruling-against-trump-prosecutors-in-big-order\/\" title=\"Judge Cannon rules against Trump prosecutors in major case.\">defense\u2063 attorney<\/a> described him\u2063 as a &#8220;broken man&#8221; who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/motor-racing-ive-never-seen-a-car-so-fast-says-hamilton-of-red-bull\/\" title=\"Motor racing-\u2018I\u2019ve never seen a car so fast\u2019, says Hamilton of Red Bull\">made poor choices<\/a> but\u200b did not intend to overthrow democracy. Following the riot, both \u2062Robertson and another\u200d officer involved were fired from \u2063their\u2062 positions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A former Virginia police officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol received a reduced prison sentence of six years on Wednesday, making him one of the first beneficiaries of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited the government&rsquo;s use of a federal obstruction law.<\/p>\n<p>More than two years ago, former Rocky Mount Police Sgt. Thomas Robertson originally was sentenced to seven years and three months of imprisonment for joining the January 6, 2021, raid on the Capitol.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors urged U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to preserve the original sentence, but the judge imposed the shorter prison term Wednesday after agreeing to dismiss Robertson&rsquo;s conviction for obstructing the congressional certification of President Joe Biden&rsquo;s 2020 electoral victory.<\/p>\n<p>Robertson was the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/jan-6-committee-asks-grill-hugely-famous-conservative-despite-fact-nowhere-near-capitol-riot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Capitol riot<\/a> defendant to be re-sentenced after the dismissal of a conviction for the obstruction charge at the center of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s ruling in June, according to Justice Department prosecutors. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mississippi-supreme-court-strikes-down-voter-approved-medical-marijuana-initiative\/\" title=\"Mississippi Supreme Court Strikes Down Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Initiative\">high court ruled 6-3<\/a> that a charge of obstructing an official proceeding must include proof that a defendant tried to tamper with or destroy documents &mdash; a distinction that applies to few January 6th criminal cases.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I assume I won&rsquo;t be seeing you a third time,&rdquo; the judge told Robertson at the end of his second sentencing hearing.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Robertson, who declined to address the court at his first sentencing hearing, told the judge on Wednesday that he looks forward to returning home and rebuilding his life after prison.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I realize the positions that I was taking on that day were wrong,&rdquo; he said of January 6th. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m standing before you very sorry for what occurred on that day.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A jury convicted Robertson of all six counts in his indictment, including charges that he interfered with police officers during a civil disorder and that he entered a restricted area with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bidens-weaponized-doj-targets-pro-life-activists-new-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a dangerous weapon<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bodycam-footage-shows-capitol-police-striking-unconscious-trump-supporter-who-died-on-jan-6\/\" title=\"Bodycam Footage Shows Capitol Police Striking Unconscious Trump Supporter Who Died on Jan. 6\">large wooden stick<\/a>. Robertson&rsquo;s jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases.<\/p>\n<p>Robertson traveled to Washington on that morning with another off-duty Rocky Mount police officer, Jacob Fracker, and a third man, a neighbor who was not charged in the case.<\/p>\n<p>Fracker, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with the government, was sentenced in 2022 to probation and two months of home detention.<\/p>\n<p>Jurors who convicted Robertson saw some of his posts on social media before and after the riot. In a post on November 7, 2020, Robertson said &ldquo;being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors said Robertson used his law enforcement and military training to block police officers who were trying to hold off the advancing mob.<\/p>\n<p>Defense attorney Mark Rollins said Robertson made bad choices and engaged in bad behavior on January 6th, but was not trying to &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/shocker-even-andrew-cuomo-blasting-braggs-anti-trump-witch-hunt-talk-threat-democracy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">overthrow democracy<\/a>&rdquo; that day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What you find now is a broken man,&rdquo; Rollins said.<\/p>\n<p>The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles south of Roanoke, Virginia, and has about 5,000 residents.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p>   <script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former police officer from Virginia, who participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday. This decision makes him one of the first individuals to benefit from a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that restricted how federal obstruction laws can be applied. Thomas Robertson, a former sergeant with the Rocky Mount Police Department, had initially received a sentence of seven years and three months for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Although prosecutors requested that U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper maintain the original sentence, he opted for a shorter term after agreeing to overturn Robertson&#8217;s conviction for obstructing Congress during President Joe Biden&#8217;s certification process.<\/p>\n<p>Robertson is noted as being the first defendant related to the Capitol riot to be re-sentenced following this Supreme Court ruling which clarified that an obstruction charge must demonstrate attempts to tamper with or destroy documents\u2014criteria that apply to only a few cases from January 6th. At his second sentencing hearing, Judge Cooper remarked he hoped not to see Robertson again.<\/p>\n<p>During this latest hearing, Robertson expressed his desire to return home and rebuild his life post-incarceration. He acknowledged that his actions on January 6 were misguided and conveyed remorse for what transpired that day.<\/p>\n<p>A jury found him guilty on all six counts against him, including charges related to interfering with law enforcement during civil unrest and entering a restricted area while armed with a large wooden stick. His trial was among many stemming from events at the Capitol; he had traveled there alongside another off-duty officer and an uncharged neighbor. The other officer involved has since pleaded guilty and received probation along with two months of home detention.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors highlighted how Robertson utilized his law enforcement training during the riot by obstructing police efforts against rioters advancing toward Congress. His defense attorney admitted that while Robertson made poor choices on January 6th, he did not intend to &#8220;overthrow democracy.&#8221; Following these events, both officers were dismissed from their positions by their town administration<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2336795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/c878ac1fb5874a20bf9a549dfeeef815-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32087,33211,4375,40113,32275],"class_list":["post-2336794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-jan-6","tag-legal-news","tag-prisoner","tag-sentence-reduction","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/c878ac1fb5874a20bf9a549dfeeef815-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2336794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2336795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2336794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2336794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2336794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}