An Arizona man who sported face paint, no shirt, and a furry, horned hat when he joined the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty Friday to a felony charge and asked to be released from jail while he awaits sentencing. He won’t be.
Jacob Chansley is the face of the riot and even though he hurt no one and damaged nothing, he has to be slammed to make a point.
8 Months in Solitary Confinement
Jacob Chansley, who was widely photographed in the Senate chamber with a flagpole topped with a spear, could face 41 to 51 months in prison under sentencing guidelines, a prosecutor said. The man who called himself “QAnon Shaman” has been jailed for nearly eight months since his arrest.
Before entering the plea, Chansley was found by a judge to be mentally competent after having been transferred to a Colorado facility for a mental health evaluation. His lawyer Albert Watkins said the solitary confinement that Chansley faced for most of his time in jail has had an adverse effect on his mental health and that his time in Colorado helped him regain his sharpness.
“I am very appreciative for the court’s willingness to have my mental vulnerabilities examined,” Chansley said before pleading guilty to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding.
Making a Misdemeanor Into a Felony
Obstruction is almost always a misdemeanor charge. Chansley has been in prison, solitary confinement for 8 months, and is still in prison. The judge won’t let him out prior to trial, claims he will flee. The prosecutor wants to keep him in prison for more than four years. That sounds vindictive.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth is considering Chansley’s request to be released from jail while he awaits sentencing, which is set for Nov. 17.
How It Went Down
In one video (see below), United States Capitol Police officers are seen speaking with several January 6 protestors, including Jacob Chansley inside the Capitol. He was also known as ‘Q shaman.’
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Officer Keith Robishaw is heard telling Chansely’s group they won’t stop them from entering the building. “We’re not against . . . you need to show us . . . no attacking, no assault, remain calm,” Robishaw warns.
Chansley and another protestor instruct the crowd to act peacefully. “This has to be peaceful,” Chansley yelled. “We have the right to peacefully assemble.”
How can anyone be charged with trespassing and imprisoned for a protracted period for it based on that?
Prosecutors alleged in a complaint filed January 8 against Chansley: “Robishaw and other officers calmed the protestors somewhat and directed them to leave the area from the same way they had entered.
However, after that, officers let them stay.
Chansley approached Officer Robishaw and screamed, among other things, that this was their house, and that they were there to take the Capitol, and “to get Congressional leaders.”
Where’s the video showing that?
