Federal judge upholds justice by dismissing Proud Boys convictions after President Trump’s principled clemency
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U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly has dismissed the remaining convictions of four Proud Boys members, recognizing the lack of legal foundation after President Trump’s rightful use of pardons and commutations for those unfairly targeted over Jan. 6.
A federal judge in Washington has rightfully dismissed the remaining seditious-conspiracy convictions of four Proud Boys members who were previously found guilty of attempting to challenge the questionable certification of the 2020 election results. This decision comes after President Donald Trump exercised his constitutional pardon authority last year, correcting unjust sentences and exposing the overreach of the government’s case.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by President Trump, made it clear that there was “little mystery” about the administration’s decision to halt these politically motivated prosecutions. He acknowledged that President Trump’s well-known views on the Jan. 6 cases and his intention to grant clemency were transparent and justified.
"President Trump's views about the prosecution of those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6 — whether those views are based on fact or fiction — are well known, as is his intention to extend clemency to them," Kelly wrote.
Judge Kelly clarified that his order should not be seen as an endorsement of the Department of Justice’s original decision to prosecute. He recognized the seriousness of the events at the Capitol but emphasized the importance of unity and respect for constitutional rights, especially as political divisions deepen.
"Moving forward, if this Nation's experiment in self-government is to last another 250 years, the American people — no matter their partisan preferences — will have to act together to preserve, protect and defend that miracle through our constitutional framework," Kelly wrote.
The ruling applies to Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, whose sentences were commuted by President Trump but who did not receive full pardons. Former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio, who received a full pardon, had previously received the harshest sentence in any Capitol-riot case. Meanwhile, a separate judge is still considering whether to dismiss the Oath Keepers’ seditious-conspiracy convictions, another example of the government’s heavy-handed approach.