More than 700 people have been arrested and charged with criminal actions for their role in the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. But only about 10% of those charged have been sentenced so far, according to a report from The Washington Post. Troublingly, despite the fact that the FBI called the attack “a form of domestic terrorism” and scholars have determined that it was, in fact, an attempted coup, federal judges appear to be issuing lenient sentences for those who are found guilty of participating in the violent attempt to overthrow the government.
According to an analysis published by the Post, about two-thirds of defendants involved in the Capitol riot have received sentences that are less severe than those recommended by federal prosecutors. In 49 out of the 74 sentences handed down by federal judges, the defendants have gotten off with lighter sentences. Just 10 have been sentenced to more than two months in jail. The majority of those who have been sentenced so far — 39 in total — have received no jail time at all.
