First convicted Capitol rioter gets 8-month imprisonment sentence

• Capitol rioter Paul Allard Hodgkins has been sentenced to 8 months of imprisonment on Monday.
• The decision was the first felony sentence imposed on a participant of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building.
• Hodgkins pleaded guilty and showed remorse during the proceedings, apologizing for his participation in the mob.

The first felony sentence involving the January 6 incident has been imposed on Monday on Capitol rioter Paul Allard Hodgkins, who has been sentenced to 8 months in prison.

Hodgkins pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, but Hodgkins was given a much lighter sentence owing to his show of remorse.

U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss acknowledged Hodgkins’s remorse over his role in the events during the Jan. 6 riot, which the judge described as “chilling.”

Moss declared during the hearing, “When a mob is prepared to attack the Capitol to prevent our elected officials of both parties from performing their constitutional and statutory duty, democracy is in trouble.”

“The damage that Mr. Hodgkins and others caused that day is way beyond a several-hour delay in certification [of the election],” Moss continued. “It is damage that will persist in this country for decades.”

Acknowledging Hodgkins’s current acceptance of responsibility but also his willing and active participation in the riot, federal prosecutors recommended an 18-month prison sentence.

Hodgkins was not accused of any violent acts during the Capitol riot. Still, prosecutors stated that he entered the complex and the Senate chamber while carrying a “Trump 2020” sign, latex gloves, protective eye goggles, and rope.

Court documents detailed that Hodgkins traveled from Tampa, Florida, to attend former President Trump’s rally over his baseless claims of election fraud.

Hodgkins delivered his apology to the court on Monday. He added that he now recognizes President Biden as the rightful president.

Hodgkins stated, “I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am truly remorseful and regretful for my actions in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.”

“I say this, not because I face consequences, but because of the damage that day’s actions have caused, the way that this country that I love has been hurt,” he added.

Source: The Hill