Jackson Reffitt took the stand Thursday as a witness for the prosecution within the trial of his father, Man Reffitt, the primary January 6 defendant to face trial. He spoke of sitting in his bed room, whereas his father was at dwelling, and secretly Googling the FBI tip line to inform the bureau about his father as a result of he was fearful about what his father would possibly do.
When prosecutors known as his son to the stand, Man Reffitt instantly started to cry, wiping his eyes by way of his white masks, his face turning crimson. Jackson Reffitt entered the courtroom, carrying a pink shirt, darkish swimsuit, lengthy hair, and a black masks. There was some emotion in Jackson's voice as he each recognized after which described his relationship along with his father.
"Fairly nice," Jackson stated when he informed the jury about his relationship along with his dad, explaining that the 2 grew "extra distant" after he spent a while overseas in 2016 to dwell in Malaysia.
At one level, as Jackson mentioned the far-right extremist group his father belongs to, the Three Percenters militia, Man Reffitt once more started crying, and he appeared over at his spouse within the gallery. She motioned to him as if to inform him to settle down, whereas she additionally held again tears.
Stoic and soft-spoken, Jackson Reffitt had hassle making himself heard, and jurors strained to hearken to his testimony.
It "felt gross" to be googling a solution to tip the FBI off about his dad, "to report my father," Jackson informed the courtroom.
Jackson, 19, stated that his politics differ from his father's. As he put it, the place he goes left, his father goes proper.
Reffitt is accused of transporting firearms from Texas to Washington, D.C., and of bringing a firearm to the Capitol on January 6.
Jackson recognized the Three Percenters brand on clothes belonging to his father and stickers that adorn Man Reffitt's truck. He stated his father has informed him that the group's identify is derived from the American Revolution. His father would not let him keep in the home when the group met there.
The youthful Reffitt additionally testified that Man Reffitt "just about on a regular basis" retains his Smith & Wesson gun on his hip." That is the gun Reffitt is accused of carrying through the riot on the Capitol. In photographs proven by prosecutors, Jackson recognized a handgun on the nightstand in his father's bed room and a Trump hat Man Reffitt would put on "each day or so."
It was late 2020 when Jackson Reffitt says he grew to become "paranoid" about his father's plans.
Prosecutor: "What number of instances did he reference doing one thing massive?"
Jackson Reffitt: "A number of"
Jackson testified about messages his father allegedly despatched to his household, together with one which learn, "We did it within the CIVIL WAR and now we're doing it once more. It is the federal government that's going to be destroyed on this combat." Jackson first discovered of his father's participation within the assault when he returned to the household's dwelling to see his mom and sister watching information protection of the occasions, and his mom informed him that his father was there.
Prosecutors then performed for the jurors a number of audio recordings Jackson stated he took of his father upon his return from the January 6 assault. "I had a really epic level in my life," Man is heard saying in a single recording. "I felt so patriotic," he informed his household, including that Donald Trump's presidency was not the difficulty — it was the "disgusting folks" contained in the Capitol who wanted to be eliminated.
Prosecutors allege Man Reffitt particularly focused Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi and Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell.
In keeping with the recordings performed for the jury, Jackson captured his father admitting he had carried a gun outdoors the Capitol, an offense that carries years in jail. "You carried a weapon onto Capitol grounds," Jackson is heard saying. "Okay," Man responded, including later, "I did it. I did deliver a weapon on property that we personal."
Feelings ran excessive once more when Jackson described the risk his dad had made in opposition to him and his sister, Peyton, once they stated they needed to flip him in. "When you flip me in you are a traitor, and traitors get shot," Jackson recalled his father saying. He stated he was "fairly positive" his father had uttered these actual phrases.
And as prosecutor Risa Berkower closed her questioning, the courtroom grew silent, when Jackson stated he did not remorse turning his father in. "I believe that is the best-case situation," he stated. .
Jackson has arrange a GoFundMe account value $158,000 from donations after he informed his story to the media and needed to transfer out of his father or mother's dwelling out of concern of battle. He stated the cash made him really feel "responsible" as a result of his household is struggling, too.
He defined that he had determined to communicate out following his father's arrest to assist different households like his. "There have been tons of of individuals on January 6, and so they all have households," he stated.
Man Reffitt's attorneys tried to poke holes in his son's testimony, asking questions in regards to the defendant's alcohol and Xanax use, his psychological well being standing — all supposed defenses for his actions — and implied that the son ought to have identified to cease the dialog earlier than his father had allegedly made the threatening remark.
His legal professional recommended Wednesday that he'll argue the case in opposition to Man Reffitt is "a variety of hype," that he's vulnerable to "brag," "he exaggerates and rants" and makes use of "a variety of hyperbole."
That strategy was on show Thursday, when legal professional William Welch questioned why Jackson continued to dwell at dwelling along with his father if he took his father's threats in opposition to "traitors" significantly.
If convicted, Man Reffitt may face a most sentence of 60 years in jail.