Either prosecutors didn’t offer Guy Reffitt a plea deal, or he didn’t take it when he should have.
Reffitt is the first Capitol rioter to be convicted by a jury, found guilty on all counts on March 8, 2022 (read story here).
Reffitt, 49, who belongs to a Texas militia group, traveled to the Capitol with a megaphone, bulletproof vest, flex cuffs, and a handgun.
He bragged about “taking the Capitol” and dragging out Speaker Pelosi and Senate GOP leader McConnell by their hair, their heads banging on each stair step. It took three cops to subdue him during the riot. (More details here.)
After he returned home, he threatened to shoot his children if they turned him in. They did anyway. He was arrested in Texas two weeks after the Capitol riot, and has been in jail ever since.
Unlike most other Capitol riot defendants, Reffitt hasn’t expressed remorse. He calls himself a “political prisoner.” He’s not that. He’s a deranged, violent, convicted felon. When he’s sentenced, the judge should hand him over to the Bureau of Prisons and suggest they lose the key. He doesn’t belong in civilized society.
Related story: The legal system has always been reluctant to prosecute far-right vigilantes and violent extremists, but it’s getting easier (see story here).