Dustin Byron Thompson’s protection staff is the primary to argue that Donald Trump and people related to him had been answerable for the actions of these on Jan. 6, 2021.
WASHINGTON — An Ohio man who testified he was “following presidential orders” from Donald Trump when he stormed the U.S. Capitol was convicted Thursday of obstructing Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
A federal jury additionally discovered Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, responsible of stealing a coat rack from an workplace contained in the Capitol throughout the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Jurors deliberated lower than three hours earlier than their verdict, rejecting Thompson’s novel protection. He blamed Trump and members of the president’s inside circle for the rebel and for his personal actions.
He was ordered held pending his sentencing, set for July 20. He had been free since his arrest.
Thompson’s jury trial was the third amongst a whole bunch of Capitol riot instances prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Division. Within the first two instances, jurors convicted each defendants of all prices.
Thompson, an exterminator who misplaced his job throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, was the primary Capitol riot defendant to mount a trial protection blaming Trump and members of his inside circle for the rebel.
Jurors heard attorneys’ closing arguments earlier within the day.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional William Dreher mentioned that Thompson, a college-educated exterminator who misplaced his job throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, knew he was breaking the regulation when he joined the mob that attacked the Capitol and, in his case, looted the Senate parliamentarian’s workplace. The prosecutor instructed jurors that Thompson’s lawyer “desires you to suppose it’s important to select between President Trump and his consumer.”
“You do not have to decide on as a result of this isn’t President Trump’s trial. That is the trial for Dustin Thompson due to what he did on the Capitol on the afternoon on Jan. 6,” Dreher mentioned.
Protection legal professional Samuel Shamansky mentioned Thompson hasn’t prevented taking duty for his conduct that day.
“This shameful chapter in our historical past is all on TV,” Shamansky instructed jurors.
However he mentioned Thompson, unemployed and consumed by a gentle weight-reduction plan of conspiracy theories, was weak to Trump’s lies a couple of stolen election. He described Thompson as a “pawn” and Trump as a “gangster” who abused his energy to govern supporters.
“The weak are seduced by the sturdy, and that is what occurred right here,” Shamansky mentioned.
Thompson’s jury trial is the third amongst a whole bunch of Capitol riot instances prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Division. Within the first two instances, jurors convicted the defendants of all prices.
U.S. District Decide Reggie Walton barred Thompson’s lawyer from calling Trump and former New York Metropolis Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as trial witnesses. However the choose dominated that jurors might hear recordings of speeches that Trump and Giuliani delivered on Jan. 6, earlier than the riot erupted. A recording of Trump’s remarks was performed.
Shamansky claimed that Giuliani incited rioters by encouraging them to interact in “trial by fight” and that Trump provoked the mob by saying that “for those who don’t struggle like hell, you’re not going to have a rustic anymore.”
Dreher instructed jurors that neither Trump nor Giuliani had the authority to “make authorized” what Thompson did on the Capitol.
Thompson, who testified on Wednesday, admitted that he joined the mob’s assault and stole the coat rack and a bottle of bourbon from the Senate parliamentarian’s workplace. He mentioned he regretted his “disgraceful” conduct.
“I can’t imagine the issues that I did,” he mentioned. “Mob mentality and group suppose may be very actual and really harmful.”
Thompson mentioned he believed Trump’s false declare that the election was stolen and was attempting to face up for the lame duck president.
“If the president is supplying you with nearly an order to do one thing, I felt obligated to try this,” he testified.
Thompson is charged with six counts: obstructing Congress’ joint session to certify the Electoral Faculty vote, theft of presidency property, getting into or remaining in a restricted constructing or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted constructing or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a Capitol constructing, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol constructing.
The obstruction rely is the one felony cost. The remaining are misdemeanors.
Thompson drove from Ohio to Washington with a good friend, Robert Lyon, who additionally was arrested lower than a month after the riot. Lyon pleaded responsible in March to 2 misdemeanors — theft of presidency property and disorderly conduct — and is to be sentenced June 3.
Thompson and Lyon took an Uber journey into Washington on the morning of Jan. 6. After Trump’s speech, they headed to the Capitol.
Thompson was sporting a bulletproof vest when he entered the constructing and went to the parliamentarian’s workplace, The FBI mentioned brokers later searched Lyon’s cellphone and located a video that confirmed a ransacked workplace and Thompson yelling: “Wooooo! ’Merica Hey! That is our home!”
“(Trump) didn’t drive you to go. He didn’t drive you to stroll each step of the way in which to the Capitol constructing, did he?” Dreher requested Thompson on Wednesday.
“You selected to try this?” Dreher requested.
“I used to be following presidential orders, however sure,” Thompson mentioned.
Greater than 770 folks have been charged with federal crimes arising from the riot. Over 250 of them have pleaded responsible, largely to misdemeanors. Thompson is the fifth individual to be tried on riot-related prices.
On Monday, a jury convicted a former Virginia police officer, Thomas Robertson, of storming the Capitol with one other off-duty officer. Final month, a jury convicted a Texas man, Man Reffitt, of storming the constructing with a holstered handgun.
A choose listening to testimony with out a jury determined instances towards two different Capitol riot defendants at separate bench trials. U.S. District Decide Trevor McFadden acquitted certainly one of them of all prices and partially acquitted the opposite.
