Judge quadruples sentence of Capitol rioter after his courtroom antics: report
Capitol rioter Frank Giustino of New York got his jail sentence boosted from 21 days to 3 months following his bizarre courtroom behavior, reported The Daily Beast on Tuesday.
"Giustino’s antics saw him call the prosecutor the 'very definition of terrorism,' decry his case as 'an absolute clown show of a prosecution,' and claim he wanted to fire his lawyer and represent himself, the Associated Press reported," wrote Mark Alfred. Additionally, Giustino, a massage therapist, repeatedly blew off his court appearances.
Judge James Boasberg, exasperated by all of these shenanigans, aimed higher than the original prosecution's recommendation of three weeks, instead giving him three months.
Giustino's behavior, and the threat of an enhancement of his sentencing, was first reported earlier this summer.
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More than 1,200 people have been arrested, convicted, or taken plea agreements in the January 6 prosecutions so far — the largest number of people for a single criminal event in the history of the United States.
Most of the defendants were charged with misdemeanor offenses like unlawful picketing, disorderly conduct, or trespassing. However, a number of them were also charged with assaulting police officers, and many higher-ups of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who had a heavy pre-planned involvement in the attack, were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Former President Donald Trump has also been indicted for his efforts to interfere with the 2020 presidential election, which includes allegedly encouraging the rioters.