Justice Department, FBI debate not charging some of the Capitol rioters

[Dalek]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/doj-capitol-rioters-charges-debate/2021/01/23/3b0cf112-5d97-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html

Federal law enforcement officials are privately debating whether they should decline to charge some of the individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol this month — a politically loaded proposition but one alert to the practical concern that hundreds of such cases could swamp the local courthouse.

The internal discussions are in their early stages, and no decisions have been reached about whether to forgo charging some of those who illegally entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions.
Justice Department officials have promised a relentless effort to identify and arrest those who stormed the Capitol that day, but internally there is robust back-and-forth about whether charging them all is the best course of action. That debate comes at a time when officials are keenly sensitive that the credibility of the Justice Department and the FBI are at stake in such decisions, given the apparent security and intelligence failures that preceded the riot, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss legal deliberations.

Click to shrink...

Sounds about white.

 

[Xyer]

Would someone please think of the poor courthouses?! They don't want to work!

 

[808s & Villainy]

a politically loaded proposition but one alert to the practical concern that hundreds of such cases could swamp the local courthouse.

Click to shrink...

So? Charge them anyway. It's not like courts don't already have backlogs on more bullshit charges

 

[Volimar]

If they're not held accountable it will happen again.

 

[Cyanity]

Fire anyone debating this. End of story.

 

[TeenageFBI]

So? Charge them anyway. It's not like courts don't already have backlogs or more bullshit charges

Click to shrink...

It's fine. Speeding tickets are more important than prosecuting sedition.

 

[bionic77]

This is stupid.

They are lucky they aren't getting strung up for trying to overthrow the government.

Prosecution and harsh sentences is exactly the message that needs to be sent.

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

This would actually encourage more mass sedition because people could just walk away from it.

 

[EdibleKnife]

So? Charge them anyway. It's not like courts don't already have backlogs or more bullshit charges

Click to shrink...

This. Gurantee there are people convicted of lesser crimes who never factor into these supposed "debates" and "concerns" with burdening the system.

 

[THE210]

It seems Odd to worry about the courts when almost everyone takes a deal.

 

[Squarehard]

How about just having those local courts dismiss certain misdemeanors, or look through cases that shouldn't have even been brought forth against certain people?

 

[MasterYoshi]

You gotta be fucking kidding me.

 

[CesareNorrez]

I don't see any good reason to not hold every one of them accountable. If some of them get away with it, they will either try something similar or inspire others to. Insurrection should not be presented as a slap on the wrist. If this issue is there are too many people, well next time we might see twice, three times, or more people because they now know there is something as too many.

 

[Deleted member 1570]

If court backlogs are a problem, then just expand the courts. 💅

 

[dubc]

internally there is robust back-and-forth about whether charging them all is the best course of action.

Click to shrink...

Reminder we're still on the dumbest timeline, FFS

 

[Baroque]

So white people can even get away with participating in an event that killed cops. Incredible.

 

[Jordan117]

Y'all really want to make "they can't arrest all of us!!" a valid statement?

 

[MrRob]

The Justice system will always work as it's intended to, or not work as intended.

 

[BWoog]

"I mean we'd love to do something but they're white! Our hands are tied!"

 

[NCR Ranger]

I bet. No one likes charging their friends, family, and fellow lawmen with crimes.

 

[EdibleKnife]

This would actually encourage more mass sedition because people could just walk away from it.

Click to shrink...

Yep. Either the law applies to these people or it doesn't. If it doesn't, I'd rather not have my intelligence insulted by pretending these law enforcers are just weighing the practical benefits/downsides. This goes back to what people were saying already back during the insurrection that if that group of rioters were made up of majority black & brown people, the response not only would have been completely different but I could also bet the system would gladly & eagerly take on as much weight as it needed to to dole out punishment to each and every single perp.

 

[meowdi gras]

Here come the double standards. 👎

 

[III-V]

Puttin in work this week.

 

[Random Painted Highway]

This was always going to be a problem with this mass round up due to it all being federal charges. As someone in the federal and state courts in my jurisdiction, dumping hundreds of new an unexpected criminal cases into the pipeline is a real resource problem that can't just be handwaived away. I'm sure there are interesting solutions but many of those would require buy-ins by the defendants which won't happen.

 

[PAFenix]

That debate comes at a time when officials are keenly sensitive that the credibility of the Justice Department and the FBI are at stake in such decisions

Click to shrink...

If the credibility is at stake, then it's time to put fears to rest by bringing everyone that participated to justice.

Damn. It's not that fuckin hard.

 

[Jordan117]

The only defensible way about this is not charging the literally thousands of people who were "merely" occupying the lawn, on the grounds that they plausibly didn't know it was a restricted area by the time they got there. Maybe even the front portico. But certainly every identifiable dipshit trying to force their way in, scrapping with cops, breaking windows, and actually trespassing inside need to be charged.

 

[Koukalaka]

Think of all the non-violent drug charges they'd have to push back! It's a real Sophie's Choice...

 

[Rendering...]

Hell yeah, let's invite another coup attempt and then pretend to be shocked and disappointed.

"We thought America was better than this!" *crocodile tears*

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

keep talking about how white privilege doesn't exist

 

[Powdered Egg]

If this coup were minorities, Capitol police would have Duke Nukem 3D'd everybody. LOL at double standards to the bitter end.

 

[RoadDogg]

Heaven forbid they drop all of the lower charges that are already tying up the courts which don't matter so they can make room for the terrorists that tried to kill major parts of the government.

 

[platocplx]

I think some of them are absolute dumbasses but there are some that def need to be charged. Rest they can impose fines and house arrest etc. the violent ones that were attacking and organized need to be buried in jail.

 

[Deleted member 2809]

But white privilege doesn't exist

 

[Greg NYC3]

There's zero chance that this would even be discussed had it been say, 1000s of Islamic Militants storming the Capitol. In fact all of their asses would be rotting at Guantanamo by now.

 

[Nepenthe]

Everyone who took a step inside the Capitol building that day at least needs to be charged for unlawful entry of federal property at the least. Who gives a fuck if it's gonna increase the workload? Do your job.

 

[Thordinson]

It seems like it's for people who only trespassed and it isn't unanimous.

Due to the wide variety of behavior, some federal officials have argued internally that those people who are known only to have committed unlawful entry — and were not engaged in violent, threatening or destructive behavior — should not be charged, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Other agents and prosecutors have pushed back against that suggestion, arguing that it is important to send a forceful message that the kind of political violence and mayhem on display Jan. 6 needs to be punished to the full extent of the law, so as to discourage similar conduct in the future.

Click to shrink...

Prosecutors weighing charges and their effects on courts is a normal thing. However, these events were not normal and we know if these people were anything but white, they'd have the book thrown at them.

 

[New Username]

Edit: deleted post

 

[Uncle at Nintendo]

I was about to bitch about Trump's administration out of muscle memory but then I remembered.

Yeah all the rioters gotta be locked up for a long time.

 

[Rendering...]

If this coup were minorities, Capitol police would have Duke Nukem 3D'd everybody. LOL at double standards to the bitter end.

Click to shrink...

I think we can all agree that the general whiteness of the rioters is a testament to their good intentions. A natural certification of innocence, if you will.

 

[EggmaniMN]

Can't fill up the courthouse with the white terrorists, have to keep the stand open to throw the book at the poor Black folk who had weed or a parking ticket or some tiny charge that gets them life in prison.

 

[Thordinson]

Nothing prevents congress from creating additional districts or circuits or expanding the complement of judges or staff or resources allocated to them, and in point of fact there are many positive externalities besides permanently barring Trump cultists from owning firearms for doing so.

Click to shrink...

Exactly. We need more courts and judges. Though, the judges need to be diverse and not simply be former prosecutors.

 

[samoscratch]

if they want to further tear this country apart go for it. unbelievable but also expected, makes me sick.

 

[BlueTsunami]

If this coup were minorities, Capitol police would have Duke Nukem 3D'd everybody. LOL at double standards to the bitter end.

Click to shrink...

They'd fucking create some sort of RICO statute that effects all the insurrectionists in one fell swoop. It's been pretty clear that the government doesn't really want to deal with these white people.

 

[Sirpopopop]

This is one of the net effects of the Senate's delay in confirming Biden's appointees.

Trump's people have a small window to do even more heinous shit and let Biden get the blame for it.

 

[Templeusox]

Nope. We've got nothing but time. Putting everyone involved in prison should be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd priority of the entire Justice Department right now.

 

[Cow Mengde]

LOL, been saying these people will get a slap on the wrist. People didn't believe me.

 

[Lmo2017]

That's a hard No. These Karens need to face responsibility once in their lives.

 

[III-V]

Well we certainly would not want to inconvenience any of these folks.

 

[RailWays]

Nah, actions have consequences

 

[Thordinson]

This is one of the net effects of the Senate's delay in confirming Biden's appointees.

Trump's people have a small window to do even more heinous shit and let Biden get the blame for it.

Click to shrink...

This isn't really something to blame on Trump. The DoJ and the FBI have been terrible for a long time. Most of these prosecutors are career people and have been under different presidents.