Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Capitol Rioter Who Breached Senate Gets 8 Months for Felony
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
July 19, 2021

Share

A Florida man who breached the U.S. Senate chamber carrying a Trump campaign flag was sentenced Monday to eight months behind bars, the first resolution for a felony case in the Capitol insurrection.

Paul Allard Hodgkins apologized and said he was ashamed of his actions on Jan 6. Speaking calmly from a prepared text, he described being caught up in the euphoria as he walked down Washington’s most famous avenue, then followed a crowd of hundreds up Capitol Hill and into the Capitol building.

“If I had any idea that the protest … would escalate (the way) it did … I would never have ventured farther than the sidewalk of Pennsylvania Avenue,” Hodgkins told the judge. He added: “This was a foolish decision on my part.”

Prosecutors had asked for Hodgkins to serve 18 months behind bars, saying in a recent filing that he, “like each rioter, contributed to the collective threat to democracy” by forcing lawmakers to temporarily abandon their certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over President Donald Trump and to scramble for shelter from incoming mobs.

Sentencing Sets Bar for Hundreds of Others Awaiting Trial

In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Randolph Moss said that Hodgkins had played a role, if not as significant as others, in one of the worst episodes in American history. Still he chose to give Hodgkins a year less in prison.

“That was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a protest,” Moss said. “It was … an assault on democracy.” He added: “It left a stain that will remain on us … on the country for years to come.”

The sentencing could set the bar for punishments of hundreds of other defendants as they decide whether to accept plea deals or go to trial. Hodgkins and others are accused of serious crimes but were not indicted, as some others were, for roles in larger conspiracies.

Under an agreement with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty last month to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop lesser charges, including entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct.

Lawyer Pleads With Judge for Leniency

Video footage shows Hodgkins wearing a Trump 2020 T-shirt, the flag flung over his shoulder and eye goggles around his neck, inside the Senate. He took a selfie with a self-described shaman in a horned helmet and other rioters on the dais behind him.

His lawyer pleaded with the judge to spare his 38-year-old client time in prison, saying the shame that will attach to Hodgkins for the rest of his life should be factored in as punishment.

The lawyer argued in court papers that Hodgkins’ actions weren’t markedly different from those of Anna Morgan Lloyd — other than Hodgkins stepping onto the Senate floor. Morgan Lloyd was the first of roughly 500 arrested to be sentenced. She pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct and last month was sentenced to three years of probation.

Hodgkins was never accused of assaulting anyone or damaging property. And prosecutors said he deserves some leniency for taking responsibility almost immediately and pleading guilty to the obstruction charge.

Prosecutors Say Hodgkins Was Prepared for Violence

But they also noted how he boarded a bus in his hometown of Tampa bound for a Jan. 6 Trump rally carrying rope, protective goggles and latex gloves in a backpack — saying that demonstrated he came to Washington prepared for violence.

On the day, he walked through grounds already littered with smashed police barriers and broken windows, evening passing police officers and others injured as the crowd surged toward the Capitol, prosecutors said.

“Time and time again, rather than turn around and retreat, Hodgkins pressed forward,” the government filing said.

Hodgkins’ lawyer, Patrick N. Leduc, described his client as an otherwise law-abiding American who, despite living in a poorer part of Tampa, regularly volunteered at a food bank. He noted that Hodgkins had been an Eagle Scout.

His actions on Jan. 6 “is the story of a man who for just one hour on one day lost his bearings … who made a fateful decision to follow the crowd,” the attorney said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Top Former US Generals Say Failures of Biden Administration in Planning Drove Chaotic Fall of Kabul

DON'T MISS

US Defense Chief Vows Continued Aid to Ukraine, Even as Congress Is Stalled on Funding Bill

DON'T MISS

‘Gorilla Hail’ as Big as Softballs Hits Parts of Kansas and Missouri

DON'T MISS

Time for a Change: 66% of Americans Want to End Daylight Saving Time Ritual

DON'T MISS

United Airlines Plane Makes a Safe Emergency Landing in LA After Losing a Tire During Takeoff

DON'T MISS

Bill That Could Make TikTok Unavailable in the US Advances Quickly in the House

DON'T MISS

76 US Congressional Members Call for Gaza Cease-Fire

DON'T MISS

New York Will Send National Guard to Subways After a String of Violent Crimes

DON'T MISS

Few Americans Want US More Involved in Current Wars in Ukraine and Gaza, AP-NORC Poll Finds

DON'T MISS

A 4-Year-Old Gaza Boy Lost His Arm – and His Family. Half a World Away, He’s Getting a Second Chance

No data was found

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

14 hours ago

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

15 hours ago

CA Insurance Market ‘in Chaos,’ Says Former Insurance Commissioner. Can Lara Fix It?

16 hours ago

Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Sets a Record After Wall Streets Breaks Out of Its Lull

16 hours ago

House Speaker Mike Johnson Headed to Fresno on April 4

16 hours ago

Bredefeld, Smittcamp Debate the Salary of Valley Children’s CEO

16 hours ago

CA’s Liberal Government Has a Long History of Caving to Special Interests

16 hours ago

Corrupt Process? Bullard, Edison Parents Blast Handling of Superintendent Search

17 hours ago

Police Had About 90 Seconds to Stop Traffic Before Baltimore Bridge Fell. 6 Workers Are Feared Dead

18 hours ago

NBC Has Cut Ties With Former RNC Head Ronna McDaniel After Employee Objections, Some on the Air

18 hours ago

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

Carmi, an incredible 1-year-old kitten mama, can be very gentle but can also get overstimulated and give love bites. Even her warm, honey-co...
Animals /

1 hour ago

Animals /
1 hour ago

Supermom Carmi Is Ready to Be Embraced by Her Forever Family

9 hours ago

Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled

Composite image of President Trump and Devin Nunes
13 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: How Going to Work for Trump Turned Devin Nunes Into a Millionaire

14 hours ago

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

15 hours ago

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

16 hours ago

CA Insurance Market ‘in Chaos,’ Says Former Insurance Commissioner. Can Lara Fix It?

16 hours ago

Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Sets a Record After Wall Streets Breaks Out of Its Lull

16 hours ago

House Speaker Mike Johnson Headed to Fresno on April 4

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend