WTOP 9/17/2021
A federal judge who sentenced a California architect on Friday to probation for her role in the Capitol riot stressed that the Jan. 6 insurrection “represented a threat to democracy” and continues to resonate “in sad and unfortunate ways.”
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman noted that security fencing has gone up around the Capitol in preparation for a rally on Saturday by what he called “misguided” people protesting what they allege is the mistreatment of jailed insurrectionists who tried to stop the certification of former President Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden.
Friedman sentenced Valerie Elaine Ehrke to three years of probation and ordered her to perform 120 hours of community service.
Justice Department prosecutors said they recommended a probationary sentence for Ehrke because she was inside the Capitol for about one minute, only stepped about 15 feet into the building and didn’t engage in any violence or property destruction. Friedman said Ehrke’s role in the insurrection was “about as minimal as it gets.”
More than 600 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Ehrke is one of about 70 defendants who have pleaded guilty to riot-related charges.
More:
https://wtop.com/local/2021/09/woman-gets-probation-for-minimal-role-in-capitol-riot/
