(NewsSpace.com) – In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, riots at Capitol Hill, more than 1,200 people were arrested and charged with crimes. One of those was John Herbert Strand, who was arrested 12 days later and indicted on February 5. He was later sentenced to prison but is now being released.
When Strand was charged, he pleaded not guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. However, a jury found him guilty of all offenses on September 27, 2022, and he was sentenced to two years and eight months in federal prison. Strand maintained that he was at the Capitol to provide security “for a doctor who had a permit to give a medical freedom speech.”
On July 6, Strand’s legal team filed a motion to have him released from jail after the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that the government overreached in its use of its sweeping prosecution using the “obstruction of an official proceeding” charge. US District Judge Christopher Cooper, who presided over Strand’s trial, granted the motion. He is now set to be released on July 24.
To celebrate, Strand took to X, formerly Twitter, to post about his upcoming release. He thanked his supporters for standing by him while he was incarcerated.
The Supreme Court ruling definitely had an impact on many of the cases related to January 6. Federal prosecutors have dropped charges for those who have yet to go trial, while others, who are in jail are looking to file similar motions like Strand’s. His case is also likely to set a precedent and encourage others who were locked up on that one particular charge to follow suit. In the meantime, the Justice Department has moved to change the definition of the affected charge.
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