“Robert Scott Palmer of Largo, Fla., was part of the crowd of rioters on Jan. 6,” The Hill says. Prosecutors say he was in “the front line of rioters confronting the officers” defending the building where members of Congress were certifying the 2020 election inside.
Palmer, 53, “threw a wooden plank at U.S. Capitol Police officers as well as at D.C. Metropolitan officers. Just a few minutes after this, Palmer sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher at the officers and threw the empty fire extinguisher at them.” (See video below.)
On Monday, October 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty “to assaulting law enforcement with a deadly weapon during the … riot.” Those charges could get him a $250,000 fine and 20 years in prison (read story here). He’ll be sentenced December 17 (see story here).
It’s rare for a criminal defendant, especially one who pleads guilty, to get the maximum sentence. Guilty pleas typically involve bargaining with prosecutors (some charges were dropped in Palmer’s case) and a sentencing agreement (although no such details have been reported in his case).
The judge probably will take into account the guilty plea, the terms of the plea bargain, and the fact no one was injured by Palmer’s actions. But he also has a criminal record that includes battery and fraud (see story here), and the judge will consider that, too. He’s a man prone to violence.
Prosecutors have gone pretty easy on Capitol rioters who merely trespassed. They’ve been allowed to plead guilty to misdemeanors, pay $500 fine, and spend some time on probation. However, prosecutors have asked for, and gotten, jail time for a few of the rioters. Palmer’s is one of the first felony cases to come before a judge, and given the fact he violently assaulted the police officers guarding the Capitol, he seems likely to get some jail time.
The question is how much? I could be wrong, but I’ll guess under a year. He wasn’t a conspirator or organizer, only an impulsive participant caught up in the emotions of the moment, and his lawyer says he’s remorseful.
But did he learn anything, or does he still think it’s okay to violently overthrow our election process? If he does, I’d give him at least five years.