Federal judge dismisses Proud Boys Jan. 6 convictions after DOJ moves to end cases permanently
A federal judge on Friday wiped away the remaining convictions of four Proud Boys members who faced some of the longest sentences handed down in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, granting a Justice Department motion to dismiss the cases with prejudice (permanently thrown out by the court) thus permanently closing the door on prosecution.U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly approved the dismissal for Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, all convicted in 2023 on multiple felony charges.
Three of the four, Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl, had been found guilty of seditious conspiracy, a charge that carried enormous political weight during the Biden administration's sprawling Jan. 6 prosecution campaign.
The ruling marks the final legal chapter for the Proud Boys defendants. Their sentences had already been commuted by President Trump. The U.S. Court of Appeals had previously vacated the convictions. And in April, the DOJ filed a motion asking the trial court to formally dismiss the indictment.
Judge Kelly granted that motion Friday, but not without making clear he wasn't endorsing the outcome, only recognizing the constitutional boundaries of his own authority.
Read about it...
