(MENAFN) A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a warning about the ongoing risks of political violence and the dangers of misinformation and denialism regarding the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. At a sentencing hearing for 21-year-old Aiden Bilyard, a North Carolina man who admitted deploying bear spray against police during the insurrection and smashing open a Capitol window with a metal bat, Judge Reggie Walton said that the U.S. is in a "scary moment" in which democracy remains endangered. Walton, who has handled a series of Jan. 6 cases, said that the events of Jan. 6 are not something that's just in the past, and that the individuals who instigated the attack are still engaging in the same rhetoric that resulted in the violence. He warned of the danger of the spread of misinformation about the Capitol riot and the need for accountability to prevent future violence.
Bilyard's defense attorneys sought a sentence of home confinement during Friday's hearing, arguing that he was remorseful for his actions. They also said that Bilyard had been exposed to unwelcomed propaganda and influence by other Jan. 6 defendants, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, while in pretrial detention in Virginia. However, Judge Walton said that the offenses committed by Bilyard were too serious for the leniency of home detention. Walton sentenced Bilyard to 40 months in prison, emphasizing the importance of holding people accountable for their actions during the attack on the Capitol.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Walton also expressed concern about the spread of misinformation and denialism regarding the Jan. 6 attack. He said that he's unsure how people "live with themselves" when they call Jan. 6 defendants "political prisoners" or sow misinformation about what happened inside the Capitol that day. Although Walton didn't name anyone specific, Jan. 6 defendants and their sympathizers have held nightly protests outside the Washington, D.C., jail where defendants are being held, in which they are frequently referred to as political prisoners. At a recent protest, a Jan. 6 defendant called the Capitol attack an entrapment operation by the FBI and Antifa, spreading baseless conspiracy theories about the events of that day.
Judge Walton's warning about the ongoing risks of political violence and the spread of misinformation highlights the importance of holding people accountable for their actions during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The attack was a direct assault on democracy and the rule of law, and those who participated in it must be held accountable. The spread of misinformation and denialism about the attack only serves to undermine the foundations of democracy and further endanger the safety and security of our country. As we move forward from the events of Jan. 6, it is crucial that we work to address the root causes of political violence and hold those responsible to account.
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