A picture of Richard Barnett reclining in opposition to the legislator’s desk has turn into emblematic of the 2021 US Capitol assault.
Richard Barnett has been discovered responsible on all counts associated to his participation within the assault on the USA Capitol on January 6, 2021, when he was photographed together with his foot propped up on the desk of prime Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
Jury deliberations on Monday lasted for simply two hours earlier than the responsible verdict was returned on all eight expenses. They included the felony expenses of civil dysfunction and obstruction of an official continuing. Barnett, an Arkansas resident, is ready to be sentenced in a Washington, DC courtroom on Could 3.
The picture of Barnett together with his foot on then-Home Speaker Pelosi’s desk grew to become emblematic of the US Capitol assault, which was led by supporters of then-President Donald Trump who sought to overturn his election loss.
Exterior of the courthouse on Monday, Barnett vowed to attraction the case, calling it an “injustice”.
US Division of Justice prosecutor Alison Prout, in the meantime, centered on the jury’s conclusion that Barnett had taken a weapon into Pelosi’s workplace.
“We are able to solely think about what would have occurred if [Pelosi] had been there on the time,” Prout stated.
US District Decide Christopher Cooper agreed to let Barnett stay free on sure circumstances till his sentencing, regardless of a request from prosecutors that he be jailed till then.
Barnett, who goes by the nickname “Bigo”, is among the many greater than 940 individuals charged with federal crimes associated to the lethal riot. Almost 500 have pled responsible, whereas dozens of others have let their circumstances go to trial.
A former firefighter, Barnett testified final Thursday that he was in search of a bathroom contained in the US Capitol when he unwittingly entered Pelosi’s workplace and encountered two information photographers.
He stated one of many photographers instructed him to “act pure”, so he leaned again in a chair and put his legs onto the desk.
“I used to be simply within the second,” Barnett stated throughout questioning. “I’m simply sort of going with the stream at this level.”
Among the many expenses, Barnett was convicted of getting into and remaining in a restricted constructing or grounds with a lethal or harmful weapon — what prosecutors described as a stun gun with spikes hid inside a collapsible strolling stick.
Earlier than leaving Pelosi’s workplace, Barnett took a chunk of her mail, leading to a theft cost. He additionally left behind a notice that stated, “Nancy, Bigo was right here”, together with a sexist expletive.
Earlier than leaving the US Capitol grounds, prosecutors stated Barnett used a bullhorn to ship a speech to the group, shouting: “We took again our home, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s workplace!”
Prosecutors additionally famous that police had twice been referred to as on Barnett in 2020 for carrying a gun at political rallies.
Defence lawyer Joseph McBride, in the meantime, portrayed Barnett as only a “loopy man from Arkansas” who had not damage anyone through the January 6 riot.
He sarcastically dismissed the proceedings as “essentially the most well-known trespass case of all time”.