re: Trump appointed judge releases J6 defendant early in rebuke of DOJ warnings

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"Whataboutism" is an incredibly useful thing

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Agree. When very similar behaviors result in different applications of the law, people will be upset.

The alleged "whataboutism" really comes down to two types of comparisons:

(1) The comparison of protests related to grievances with public policy that have some element of violence. (Indeed, most persons having empathy with J6 defenders point out that similar types of protest have larger damages to persons and property than the protests of J6).

(2) The comparison of protests that impact congressional proceedings with the J6 protests. (In which case, many persons discuss even more direct impacts to the Congressional proceedings.)

The unique aspects of the J6 protests when compared to the others is mostly these elements:

I. The perceived threat that Congresspersons felt with this protest;

II. The fact that the proceedings were related to the Presidency; and

III. The continued visibility of the issue.

If we are a nation of laws rather than men, these shouldn't create the level of distinguishment we have seen in both the judicial outcomes of the proceedings or the executive enforcement of the proceedings. (Perhaps if there was a specific statute with enhanced penalties just for presidential determinations there would be an argument for different treatment under existing laws) In fact, the big hammer that the government has used is 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) for the meat of most of the sentences. There has been such a unique application of this statute that you have had trial judges and appellate judges disagree with the application to J6 defendants, and the matter itself is before the Supreme Court in FISCHER, JOSEPH W. V. UNITED STATES. Those jurists aren't "patriots" any more than everyone disagreeing with the prosecution of J6 defendants all hold the same positions that are being ascribed to them.

Any time there is an issue of civil unrest, you will attract some violent people. Pick any contentious issue and you will have some ne'er-do-wells in the group. That isn't the case or the objection.

Many of the larger sentences are being handed down not to people who have committed specific acts of violence or mayhem, they are being handed down to people related to a conspiracy to violate a statute that is having a unique and tenuous application.