Richard Barnett, who famously put his ft up on a desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s workplace as rioters swarmed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was convicted by a Washington jury Monday of all eight costs he confronted, together with 4 felonies.
Barnett, 62, was convicted of obstructing Congress’ Jan. 6 proceedings, a cost that carries a 20-year most sentence, in addition to disorderly conduct within the Capitol whereas carrying a harmful weapon: a “Hike ‘N Strike” strolling stick that doubles as a stun weapon. He was additionally convicted of stealing an envelope from the desk in Pelosi’s suite.
The Arkansan, who additionally goes by “Bigo,” turned a logo of the brazenness of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, and his smiling picture whereas seated in a desk chair in Pelosi’s suite shortly went viral. He left her a notice that learn, “Nancy, Bigo was right here bi-otch,” and, after his arrest, tried to copyright the phrase. Video confirmed him waving the purloined envelope — addressed to then-Rep. Billy Lengthy (R-Mo.) — exterior the Capitol.
Emily Berret, who was an aide to Pelosi on Jan. 6, within the well-known image was hers, and she or he described the horror she skilled when she noticed the picture on the information whereas on lockdown with the speaker.
Barnett remained stoic as the decision was learn shortly earlier than midday Monday. His associate, Tammy Newburn, was flanked within the public gallery by the mom of Ashli Babbitt — who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer as she sought to breach the Home chamber on Jan. 6 — and the mom of Enrique Tarrio, who was on the identical second in a courtroom two flooring under dealing with costs of seditious conspiracy. Additionally seated alongside Newburn was Nicole Reffitt, the spouse of Jan. 6 defendant Man Reffitt, who's serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
Barnett took the stand in his personal protection, contending that he was “pushed” into the Capitol by the Jan. 6 mob after which roamed round searching for a rest room till he stumbled into Pelosi’s suite. He stated he took the envelope as a result of he had bled on it and seen it as a “biohazard.” He left an American flag on a aspect desk contained in the workplace as properly. He stated that he was angered by police actions exterior the Capitol, disoriented after being maced within the rotunda and made overheated statements within the second.
After he bought house to Arkansas, Barnett shortly turned himself in, however claimed he misplaced his cellphone shortly after he arrived, and the Hike N Strike weapon was equally lacking.
Prosecutors forcefully rebutted Barnett’s contentions in tense cross-examination that prompted Barnett to develop pissed off in entrance of the jury. Barnett ” who made intemperate feedback however stated he shouldn’t be held criminally answerable for his actions.
They famous that he angrily berated Capitol Cops contained in the rotunda after leaving Pelosi’s suite, showing to beckon the mob ahead as he demanded the officers retrieve his misplaced flag. Although he didn’t deploy his stun weapon, prosecutors say its presence at his aspect introduced a menace, and the jury agreed.
Chatting with reporters exterior the courthouse, Barnett vowed to attraction the decision and stated he had “completely not” obtained a good trial, mainly as a result of he confronted a jury in liberal-leaning Washington, D.C.
“I believe the venue ought to have been modified. This isn't a jury of my friends. I don’t agree with that call. However I do admire the method. And we're certainly going to attraction,” Barnett stated.
The prosecution requested U.S. District Choose Christopher Cooper to jail Barnett pending sentencing, however Cooper declined, permitting Barnett to stay below house detention till his sentencing, set for Might 3.
Whereas Barnett wasn’t accused of any violence on Jan. 6, prosecutors asking for Barnett to be put behind bars on Monday stated the state of affairs in Pelosi’s workplace may’ve been a lot worse if she’d been in her workplace when rioters like Barnett reached it.
“We are able to solely think about what would have occurred if she had been there at the moment,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Alison Prout stated.
Prout stated Barnett lied when he took the stand final week and hasn’t taken accountability for his actions. “For the reason that trial testimony final week, the defendant has been tweeting and has expressed no regret for his conduct,” she stated.
A protection legal professional for Barnett, Joseph McBride, famous that Barnett has been on pretrial launch since April 2021 with out notable incident. “It doesn’t make sense to throw him in jail at this second,” McBride stated.
Barnett insisted to reporters that he had expressed regret, however he declined to say precisely what he regretted.
McBride and his co-counsel, Brad Geyer, additionally defended the protection’s uncommon tactic of laughing throughout parts of the federal government’s case. McBride stated it was an acceptable response to prosecutors in search of to leverage a few of McBride’s extra outlandish political statements.
“We predict that it’s completely objectionable, and ridiculous that a man might be on trial, and probably be sentenced to the remainder of his life in jail, and have tweets used towards him — some political tweets,” McBride stated. “So, we made a acutely aware determination to giggle at that as a result of, on the finish of the day, we don’t imagine that that stuff had anyplace on this trial.”