Capitol rioter gets lighter sentence for cooperating with January 6 committee
CBSN
Washington — A federal judge has revealed a new possible path to leniency for defendants charged for their alleged roles in the January 6 attack on the Capitol: cooperation with the House select committee investigating the riot.
Judge Beryl Howell, the chief judge in the U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., issued a lighter sentence than recommended by prosecutors last Friday in the case of Robert Schornak of Michigan. Among other factors, Howell cited Schornak's meetings and interactions with the House January 6 committee.
Schornak is one of approximately 20 defendants in the Capitol breach who has pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building, according to a CBS News review of court filings. The Justice Department sought a sentence of six months in prison, citing "aggravating factors" that made Schornak's case more serious.
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