If Trump follows through on his promises, there are a few ways it could work. When WIRED contacted Steven Metcalfe, an attorney representing several high-profile January 6 rioters, including Lang and Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola, he was contemplating what Trump’s victory could mean for his clients.
Metcalfe said he was taking Trump’s promises with a grain of salt, “because that’s precisely what I do, until I see something, I don’t believe it.”
He had questions too. For example, who would have priority: people who had already served their sentence or people who are currently in prison. What kind of advice was Trump getting and from whom?
“Then you have to think about the party going forward and ultimately what their beliefs are regarding assaulting police officers and/or destroying property,” Metcalfe said. “Will they draw a line in the sand or would it be a blanket forgiveness?”
Some Jan. 6 defendants are already requesting delays in their criminal proceedings and ramping up appeals. Nayib Hassan, who represents Tarrio, issued a statement saying he looks forward to “what the future holds, both in terms of the judicial process for our client and the broader political landscape under the new administration.”
Attorneys for Christopher Carnell, who was convicted of felony obstruction and four misdemeanors for the riot, required move Thursday’s hearing on the status of his case to December, citing Trump’s clemency promises.
Lawyers for Jaimee Avery, who faces misdemeanor charges in connection with the riot, have also requested a delay in the criminal proceedings, for different reasons. “It would create a huge disparity for Ms. Avery to spend even one day in jail when the man who played a pivotal role in organizing and instigating the events of January 6 will now never face consequences for his role in them.” they wrote.
Fellows, for his part, feels especially confident because he was convicted of nonviolent crimes, including obstruction of justice, which the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year had been applied too broadly in the Jan. 6 cases. . “It’ll be cool to walk around saying, ‘Hey, the president has forgiven me.’
He told WIRED that he had been sitting by the window of his D.C. apartment and gloating to passersby about Trump’s victory. “They looked at me badly,” he says.
“HEY, DONALD TRUMP WON, WE DID IT, HEY, WE DID IT GUYS, UP HERE,” Fellows shouted, laughing. “YOUR BODY, OUR CHOICE, AMIRITA.”
