Richard Barnett, who put foot on desk in Pelosi’s office on Jan. 6, to be sentenced

Washington — An Arkansas man who was photographed propping his foot on a desk within the Home speaker’s workplace in the course of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol is because of be sentenced on Wednesday, months after his conviction on quite a few felony counts.

Richard “Bigo” Barnett is ready to look earlier than Choose Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia within the afternoon. A photograph of Barnett seated at a desk in then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s workplace grew to become one of the crucial indelible photos of Jan. 6.

Prosecutors requested the decide to impose a sentence of greater than seven years behind bars, noting he admitted to getting into the Capitol wielding a stun gun and carrying an American flag.

“Barnett traveled to D.C. for January 6 with the intent to disrupt Congress, and he anticipated and ready for violence,” the federal government argued in its sentencing memorandum. Prosecutors don’t allege he engaged in any bodily violence that day.  

Earlier this 12 months, a jury discovered Barnett responsible of eight counts together with civil dysfunction, obstruction of an official continuing and theft of presidency property. His protection staff stated prosecutors went too far in bringing a number of the most extreme prices and argued jurors in Washington, D.C., have been biased towards him, echoing a declare made by many Jan. 6 defendants earlier than him.

At trial and in courtroom paperwork, prosecutors stated the 63-year-old retired firefighter and bull rider ready to journey to Washington forward of Jan. 6 to maintain Donald Trump in energy. They stated he made his approach into the Capitol on the day of the riot after yelling at officers exterior the constructing. As soon as inside, in line with the federal government, Barnett stole an envelope, sat behind a desk in Pelosi’s workplace and scrawled on a bit of paper, “Hey Nancy, Bigo was right here you b*****.” 

It was solely after he yelled at police and was hit with chemical spray within the Rotunda that the federal government says Barnett was pressured out of the Capitol. As soon as exterior, prosecutors allege Barnett “bragged” about his entry into the speaker’s workplace and inspired the opposite rioters, saying, “This can be a struggle.” 

Barnett testified in his personal protection at trial and underwent a prolonged and, at occasions, heated cross-examination. He admitted to having regrets for utilizing a vulgar, misogynistic phrase about Pelosi and for placing his ft on the desk. He testified he was a “f***ing fool” on Jan. 6, however argued his acts weren’t prison. 

Prosecutors alleged at sentencing that a lot of the defendant’s testimony from the stand was not true. Because the January trial, they stated, he has “demonstrated his lack of regret and refusal to take duty for his actions.” 

Barnett’s attorneys contended the federal government “has no proof that Mr. Barnett perjured himself and the jury did convict Mr. Barnett of perjury.”

After his participation within the riot, in line with prosecutors, Barnett even bought signed copies of images depicting him sitting along with his ft on the desk, “an image that he characterised as ‘the face of the brand new anti-federalist motion.'” 

His protection staff argued that the years-long penalty the federal government sought was unjust. 

“The worst accusations towards Mr. Barnett amounted to twenty minutes of nonviolence within the Capitol, a stolen envelope, and actually seconds of verbal altercation with a police officer,” protection attorneys wrote, arguing he introduced the stun gun to Washington for self-protection.

“Mr. Barnett by no means referred to as for violence. By no means referred to as for revolt. He was mad, however even in his anger his rhetoric was restrained and he by no means referred to as for precise violence, not on January 6 and never for any time sooner or later,” his legal professionals wrote.