Potential jurors in Oath Keepers trial examine Jan. 6 Capitol assault to 9/11 By Reuters

By Sarah N. Lynch and Chris Gallagher

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and 4 associates in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday heard some potential jurors categorical fears that reliving that day could be too traumatic for them to be neutral.

The case towards the followers of the far-right militia, whose membership consists of present and former U.S. army and regulation enforcement personnel, marks probably the most high-profile prosecution up to now within the Justice Division’s investigation into the lethal assault.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed try and overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden after Trump falsely claimed the election had been stolen from him. 5 folks died throughout and shortly after the riot, and about 140 police had been injured.

Rhodes and his co-defendants Kelly Meggs, Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins and Kenneth Harrelson are the primary folks in additional than 10 years to face federal expenses of seditious conspiracy below a Civil Warfare-era statute that’s not often prosecuted and carries a statutory most sentence of 20 years in jail.

Seditious conspiracy is outlined as two or extra folks plotting “to overthrow, put down or to destroy by drive the federal government of the USA.”

Practically 30 of the greater than 130 folks within the jury pool had been quizzed by Choose Amit Mehta, prosecutors and protection attorneys on Tuesday on their views on weapons, Trump supporters and whether or not they had intently adopted information protection of the Jan. 6 assault.

No less than two folks in contrast the trauma of the occasions of Jan. 6 to the al Qaeda assaults of Sept. 11, 2001, whereas one other man stated he was so triggered by tv footage of the riot that he would want prescription medicine to get by way of the trial.

Different jurors, in the meantime, informed the court docket they had been involved their strongly held political beliefs may make it too tough to be neutral.

“I believe the Capitol is a sacred area. It’s extra sacred than a church,” one more potential juror informed the court docket.

VIDEO CLIPS, TEXT MESSAGES

Along with seditious conspiracy, the 5 accused Oath Keeper defendants additionally face expenses of conspiring to hinder and of obstructing an official continuing, which carries a sentence of as much as 20 years in jail, and conspiring to forestall an officer from discharging duties.

The defendants who bodily entered the Capitol constructing – Watkins, Meggs and Harrelson – are additionally charged with property destruction. Watkins individually faces a civil dysfunction cost, whereas the opposite 4 are every charged with tampering for allegedly making an attempt to destroy proof.

The indictment towards the 5 alleges they plotted to make use of drive to oppose the peaceable switch of energy from Trump to Biden. Prosecutors have additionally stated the defendants skilled and deliberate for Jan. 6, the day Congress met to certify Biden’s win.

Prosecutors say Rhodes led and coordinated the alleged plot, which concerned the defendants organising a “fast response drive” and stockpiling weapons at a northern Virginia resort.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mehta denied a request by the protection to maneuver the trial to a unique venue amid considerations they might not discover sufficient neutral jurors in Washington, D.C.

He famous that of the 150 potential jurors who crammed out a questionnaire, 40% indicated they’d by no means heard of the Oath Keepers, whereas one other 45% stated they haven’t watched any of the televised congressional hearings on the Jan. 6 assault.

Mehta ordered all the potential jurors on Tuesday to keep away from watching or studying any protection in regards to the congressional probe. A listening to scheduled for Wednesday was postponed by the committee, citing the strategy towards Florida of Hurricane Ian.

The trial, which is predicted to final between six and 7 weeks, will function testimony from dozens of witnesses, in addition to video clips from the day of the assault, and each audio and textual content message exchanges among the many defendants.