During Wednesday’s violent attempt to overthrow the U.S. government, during which the insurrectionists erected a gallows outside the U.S. Capitol, and some of the invaders may have intended to abduct congressmen, two men were seen carrying bundles of zipties of the type used as handcuffs.
Authorities allege those men are Eric Gavelek Munchel (left) of Tennessee and Larry Rendell Brock (right) of Texas, and have charged them with relatively minor crimes for the time being. Authorities said they found numerous weapons in a search of Munchel’s home, and identified Brock as a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.
It’s not uncommon for authorities to hold suspects on relatively minor charges while investigating whether they committed major crimes. Authorities did not say what charges might eventually be filed against the men.
However, just as food for thought, if I were on a jury I might infer they intended to use the zipties to kidnap federal officials so they could be lynched on the gallows waiting outside, and if a jury reached that conclusion and I were the sentencing judge, these terrorists would be headed for ADX Florence.
Of course any defense attorney is going to try to get the zip ties thrown out as evidence. Or they will explain that the men were going in to set up a Chop Zone in the Capital and the zip ties were so they could bundle cables together for their Chops information center. Then they thought the roof might leak and realized trying to set up a new nation in another nations Capita building might not go over well.
The gallows can be explained as political speech to hold politicians accountable. Such symbols make appearances in Washington DC all the time.
Of course a bunch of Federal trial judges may get the opportunity to conduct jury trials something that has become rare in the Federal Courts. Assuming Prosecutors actually follow through on any charges.
Will a President Biden follow Washington’s example of pardons for these people?
The zip ties will not be excluded from evidence. The jury will not conclude their purpose was to bundle cables. The gallows is not political speech. Biden will not pardon them. The only thing these idiots have going for them is Biden opposes the death penalty, even for terrorists who conspire to kidnap and kill federal officials. They will get a concrete box at Florence ADX instead, which they will never leave alive.