Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group that participated in the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, are on trial for seditious conspiracy in Washington, D.C. The five defendants on trial are allegedly leaders of the Proud Boys, including Enrique Tarrio, Joseph Biggs, and Dominic Pezzola. The trial has been ongoing for several weeks, with some interruptions due to objections from the defense lawyers. The trial has been frustrating for both the prosecutors and jurors due to the choppy presentation of evidence.
Proud Boys on trial for events of January 6
The defense has argued that former President Donald Trump is at least morally responsible for the events of January 6. And a lawyer for one of the defendants has even sought to subpoena Trump to testify in the trial. The prosecution has been making a case about the Proud Boys’ beliefs and activities, including text messages and chats among members encouraging each other to commit violent acts.
The trial is part of a larger investigation by the Justice Department into the events of January 6. Over a thousand people have been charged so far, with the possibility of a thousand more cases to come. There is a hunger from some people to see if the Justice Department will be able to reach people who may have organized and funded the storming of the Capitol. Meanwhile, the House is now controlled by Republicans, who are investigating the events of January 6 in their own way. There are concerns over how footage of the events will be handled and whether it could be used to spread misinformation.
No end in sight for ongoing trial
The Proud Boys trial is ongoing, and it is not clear when it will end. One of the defense lawyers and one of the prosecutors have indicated they will try to craft some language for the jury to let them know that the case will be longer than they were informed when they signed up for jury service. The trial may continue through March, and there is the possibility of a third trial of members of the Oath Keepers occurring in the same courthouse.