09/05/2022
Retired NYPD officer sentenced 10 years for role In Jan. 6 riot
A retired New York City police officer was sentenced last week to a record-setting 10 years in prison for attacking the U.S. Capitol and using a metal flagpole to assault a police officer trying to hold off a mob of Donald Trump supporters. Thomas Webster’s prison sentence is the longest so far among roughly 250 people who punished for their conduct during the riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
■Class discussion: Webster’s lawyer argued that the Capitol mob was "guided by unscrupulous politicians" and that Webster deserved leniency because of his police service. Do you think Webster’s history as a police officer should have reduced or increased his penalty for the attack? Why? Is it reasonable for Jan. 6 defendants to argue that they were misled by political leaders? Why or why not?