Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters charged with storming the U.S. Capitol faced the same choice in the three years since the attack: either admit their guilt and accept the consequences or take their chances on a trial in hopes of securing a rare acquittal. Those who gambled and lost on a trial received significantly longer prison sentences than those who took responsibility for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, an Associated Press review of court records shows. The AP s analysis of Capitol riot sentencing data reinforces a firmly established tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: Pleading guilty and cooperating with authorities carries a substantial benefit when it comes time for sentencing.
Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters charged with storming the U.S. Capitol faced the same choice in the three years since the attack: either admit their guilt and accept the consequences or take their chances on a trial in hopes of securing a rare acquittal. Those who gambled and lost on a trial received significantly longer prison sentences than those who took responsibility for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, an Associated Press review of court records shows. The AP s analysis of Capitol riot sentencing data reinforces a firmly established tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: Pleading guilty and cooperating with authorities carries a substantial benefit when it comes time for sentencing.