Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AN ARKANSAS MAN who propped his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in a widely circulated photo from the US Capitol riot has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett became one of the faces of the January 6 riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, and US District Judge Christopher Cooper said in announcing that sentence that Barnett seemed at times to enjoy the notoriety.
“All the folks who follow ‘Bigo’ need to know the actions of January 6 cannot be repeated without some serious repercussions,” Mr Cooper said, alluding to the media attention and social media following Barnett attracted after the riot.
The 54-month sentence for Barnett, a retired firefighter from Gravette, Arkansas, comes after he was convicted at trial on eight counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding, in this case a January 6 2021 session of Congress to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Mr Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
The photos of Barnett lounging at a desk in Ms Pelosi’s office made him one of the most memorable figures from the riot.
Barnett, 63, testified he was “going with the flow” and struck a pose after news photographers told him to “act natural”.
He told the judge that joining the riot was “an enigma in my life” that he regretted, but said prosecutors wanted him to be “remorseful for things I did not do”.
“January 6 was a traumatic day for everyone, not just law enforcement,” he said. He has vowed to appeal his conviction.
He testified at trial that he was swept along with the crowd into the Capitol, and was looking for a bathroom when he unwittingly entered Ms Pelosi’s office and encountered two news photographers.
Mr Cooper, though, said he did not believe Barnett played such a passive role.
It was established at trial that Barnett brought into the Capitol a stun gun with spikes, concealed within a collapsible walking stick.
Barnett also took a piece of Ms Pelosi’s mail and left behind a note that said, “Nancy, Bigo was here”, punctuating the message with a sexist expletive.
Before leaving Capitol grounds, Barnett used a bullhorn to give a speech to the crowd, shouting, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors also said Barnett has since posted “falsehoods” on social media about January 6 and downplaying his role.
“The defendant still believes he can say or do whatever he wants and if someone else is threatened by it, that’s their problem,” prosecutor Alison Prout said.
Defence attorney Jonathan Gross said Barnett did not hurt anyone or damage property, and was being singled out because the photo had made him famous.
“Mr Barnett should not be punished because the government thinks he’s a symbol,” he said.
Mr Cooper’s sentence fell short of the approximately seven years prosecutors sought, though it was more than defence attorneys’ request for a 12-month term.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Just over 500 of them have been sentenced. More than half have received prison terms ranging from a week to over 14 years.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Has Trump contributed anything to the Jan 6th Rioters defence funds?
@Numinous20111: Thoughts and prayers, a pardon if they vote for him.
The only hope he has now, is that muppit Trump getting re-elected and pardoning them all. Surely Americans can’t be that thick to re-elect him??
@Frank Flanagan: They were thick enough the first time
@Johnny Kelly: They weren’t, actually. He lost the popular vote both times.
@Johnny Kelly: fool me once
@Joe Philips: He still got elected Joe, So yes. They were thick enough to elect him.
@Moses: The public were not, though. It was the obsolete and now democracy-hindering “electoral college” that did that. You can blame the people for allowing that farce but not actually for voting for Trump. “The people” didn’t do that. Their “betters” did.
Cant wait to see Trump in his Orange overalls and sporting a number 1 haircut
@Gerry Ryan: it’s the haircut that would finish him off
@Gerry Ryan: even if convicted, it’s unlikely as a former president that he’ll ever see the inside of a prison. At best, it will be “supervised home detention” in any one of his gaudy palaces.
@Paul Shepherd: For espionage? I doubt it.
@Paul Shepherd: depends on what he’s convicted on. The stormy dallas case won’t see him do any prison time, but the vote tampering case in Georgia will if he’s convicted. They would have to segragate him I’d imagine
@Gearóid MacEachaidh: The wire fraud charges, at least, will definitely put him in prison. The espionage charges will probably ensure he dies in there.
Imagine thinking trump had your back….lol!
@Paul Furey: Ivanka thinks so.
Where’s Ray Epps these days?
@Brian: he’s certainly not in jail nor won’t be
Trump and the real organizers will never see a day in jail. 4 years is a long time for this ordinary citizen and he’s no spring chicken. Patsy. No mercy. I guess he is being made an example to others. I think we are all susceptible to mob dynamics and I think his words are congruent with that.
@Dan Dare: I think it’s a 99% certainty that Trump will spend years in jail. I’m just curious as to who else he will take down with him.
@Dan Dare: Sure which of us hasn’t booked a visit to our capital while packing a cleverly concealed stun gun & getting swept up in a riot while “looking for a bathroom”? He was looking for trouble & sure enough it found him.
what a shame, demz kanguroo court.. ¦
@William slevin: Take your meds, William
Good, one less dope running around the USA.
William slevin
I apologize, William. I had a go at you. I feel badly about it now.
You’re obviously getting upset by things people say here. It isn’t good for your head. It seems to be really getting to you recently. The talk about a secret fascist cabal sounds a bit crazy, for example.
You do seem to be looking for arguments. You must be aware, for example, that some people will disagree strongly when you say anti abortion stuff. I think most people are happy the law has changed.
I think you’re mistaken about the comment deletion. I imagine the website administrators have an interface that allows them to delete comments. I imagine they occasionally tidy it up a bit. (It seems the deletion is apparently not subtracted from the total, as you point out.)
You need to take time off. Do something else. Read some books.
By the way should the shadow banners delete my comments by falsely mass reporting them to get the comment automatically deleted by the algorithm…I will mass flood the articles comment section with this warning…
This is now a campaign of harresment by shadow banners to have comments deleted they don’t like and to have them banned if they get enough of their comments deleted…
This that I suspect as shadow banners but not saying they are….
A D
Denis Ryan
Gearóid MacEachaidh
Tricia G
Paul furey
Gavin conran
Joe x
Alan
Elrond Rivendell
Joe Phillips
Dawn Harvey who said he is a shadow banner..
I’ll add more later…their the usual suspects that cxmment with glee that comments are gxing to be deleted and or when their deleted….
This shadxw banning to delete users comments and make threats against them just because the shadow banners don’t like others opinioxns needs to end…Thejxurnal.ie needs to put a stop to this…
@William slevin: Stop trying to spread it around and share the burden with others. It’s just you I’m attacking because, frankly, I’ve had enough of your tirades of gibberish.
My word we just has the Durham report which proves fbi collusion against trump. We have the world basically near to ww3 since trump was voted out (ukraine, Afghanistan). We have this sil*ly guy who walked around the capital building jailed while blm protesters murdered 19 and burned cities down and no jail time.
Yet here we are – Trump is the bad guy. I’m stunned at peoples interpretation of events…
@William slevin: Again… I’m not talking about anyone else, William. Just you. You know this.
@Joe Philips:
You still mocking people with mental health issues just to attack me…you really a very small man to mock such people….
@William slevin: Again… these mockings are just for you. You’re completely alone in this little psycho crusade of yours, where you’ve listed your apparent enemies, with promises to add more later. I mean, I’ll admit, that bit’s hilarious. But it’s also a bit unsettling. If you have any friends, they should really be intervening by now.
@Joe Philips:
So stop mocking them in attempts to attack me…
@Joe Philips:
Attack me then…don’t me mocking her people’s issues in an attempt to attack me…your attacks are pure failure…
have your say