Judge (reluctantly) authorizes refund of fines paid by J6 defendant.

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A federal judge has authorized a $2,200 refund to a Jan. 6 rioter whose felony conviction was dropped after President Donald Trump issued a blanket pardon to those who breached the Capitol or attacked police.

It is the first time a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant has received a refund of the fines and restitution that many were ordered to pay, even though the Justice Department endorsed the refunds in April.

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U.S. District Judge John Bates approved the return of the $2,000 restitution paid by Yvonne St. Cyr, concluding that because she had appealed her conviction — and the appeal was still pending when Trump’s pardon ended her case altogether — she was no longer guilty in the eyes of the law and was entitled to the return of her funds. She was also refunded a separate $270 penalty applied after her sentencing.

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“Sometimes a judge is called upon to do what the law requires, even if it may seem at odds with what justice or one’s initial instincts might warrant,” Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote. “This is one such occasion.”

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U.S. District Judge John Bates, who previously ruled against the Trump administration on issues related to gender identity policies, is facing scrutiny over his wife’s nonprofit ties. Carol Rhees, Bates’ wife, is the founder of Hope for Children in Ethiopia, a nonprofit organization that has received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

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