A federal judge on Friday agreed to toss the convictions of four individuals who participated in the January 6 protests at the Capitol in 2021, following a Justice Department request to clear some of the last remaining cases in the wake of President Donald Trump’s mass pardons of January 6 protesters.

Background

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted the motion to dismiss the convictions against Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola with prejudice, meaning the case is permanently closed. Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, wrote that while the federal government can request that a case be vacated, he did not approve of the administration’s move here.

Kelly indicated that he could not sustain the case once the Justice Department declined to maintain its prosecution of the defendants. The four men were all convicted in 2023 of numerous felony charges, and all but Pezzola were convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Reaction

Rehl, who was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in 2023, celebrated the ruling Friday in a post on X, writing “Finally, it’s ALL OVER! January 6th can now be a thing of the past for me!” Pezzola, who was seen on video smashing a window at the Capitol, received the shortest sentence of the group at 10 years in federal prison.

Nordean was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison and was described by prosecutors as having “played a central role in unleashing the violence and destruction at the U.S. Capitol.” Prosecutors said Biggs, who was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, was serving “as an instigator and leader” during the attack.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.