A leader of the Proud Boys who led the far-right organization’s infamous march to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was sentenced Wednesday to 17 years in prison – among the longest sentence handed down yet for a convicted rioter.
A leader of the Proud Boys who led the far-right organization’s infamous march to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was sentenced Wednesday to 17 years in prison – among the longest sentence handed down yet for a convicted rioter.
Joe Biggs was convicted by a Washington, DC jury of several charges including seditious conspiracy for attempting to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.
The government wanted Biggs to serve 33 years in federal prison. That's 15 years longer than the longest sentence in a Jan. 6 case to date: the 18-year sentence that went to Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, also convicted of seditious conspiracy, after prosecutors sought 25 years in federal prison.
This guy used violence and terrorism because he didn't want my vote to count simply because he didn't like the way I voted. Fuck this asshole. I hope he commits more felonies in prison and gets more time tacked on. 17 years isn't enough for this fascist asshole.
I agree with the rage, but I personally -- snowball in hell it may be -- hope he and the others that participated in this come to realize why what they did is wrong and come to eventually speak against it.
It’s not do that he thought that he did not like your vote, but because he thought your vote does not matter. A tiny but important difference, I think.
Imagine throwing away your life because a different party is rightfully elected. Your wife is gone. She's not staying around, because in 17 years you will both be different people. Your kid is gone. You will never know your kid, even when you get out.
It's stupid, because presidents promise so much, but do so little. You threw away your life for pretty much nothing.
Biggs grew emotional as he talked about his daughter, swearing on her life that he intended Jan. 6 to be his last event with the Proud Boys.
“I’m done with it. I’m sick and tired of left versus right,” Biggs said. The only group he wants to be affiliated with, he said, is his daughter’s PTA.
He's an asshole. And he is sorry; sorry that he got caught. He's sick of it now, but wasn't then. He makes no statement about the victims of his violence. He makes no statements about the millions of nameless victims whose votes he wanted overturned.
Even if he had said he regretted acting on Trump's lies, it wouldn't mean a thing. He is just upset he got caught and punished. He's an asshole.
Just FYI, Thomas Webster got 10 years and Stewart Rhodes got 18 years. (So as to say this isn't the first that's actually gotten some significant time behind bars)
Especially for someone who took an oath.
We shouldn't go easier because of his service, but harder, particularly regarding insurrection and invasion of Congress. He was tip of the spear in this, and led conspiracy with as many people as he could influence.
Especially for someone who took an oath.
We go easier because of his service, but harder, particularly regarding insurrection and invasion of Congress. He was tip of the spear.
Currently, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 14 offenses are punishable by death. Under the following sections of the UCMJ, the death penalty can be imposed in both times of war and peace
The guy should’ve been executed, but the burden on the prosecution might’ve been a high bar to cross for that punishment. At least he’ll be serving in federal prison, which is far harder time than state prison. Federal prison sentences for example won’t allow him to commute his sentence or ask for parole as easily as state sentences. You often hear about people serving only a fraction of their sentence in state prison; this avenue is not possible with federal charges. The president (Trump or a sympathizer) could commute or pardon him, but I think that’s a bridge Trump wouldn’t cross based on his current track record of pardons. Trump’s pardons were largely political gains for him (self serving) and I don’t think a troublemaker would in the end help him very much.