The first criminal trial in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol hurtled toward an unexpected consensus on Monday when the defense attorney made a surprise admission that his client, Texas Trump supporter Guy Reffitt, is actually guilty of some of the charges he is facing for his role in the deadly insurrection.
Reffitt, 49, is accused of “leading an early wave of rioters up a stairway outside the Capitol, carrying a pistol on his hip as he did so and later threatening to shoot his children if they reported him to the FBI,” Politico reports.
The unexpected twist came after prosecutors thundered about the defendant’s guilt during closing arguments, presenting a wide range of evidence to support their case against Reffitt.
“Prosecutors presented a mountain of video evidence and testimony against Reffitt, including his crude boasts about planning to drag Speaker Nancy Pelosi from the Capitol by the hair,” according to Politico.
That’s when defense attorney William Welch bluntly told jurors that Reffitt was indeed “guilty” of some of the charges against him.
However, the defense lawyer said his client was “not guilty of the felony charge of doing so while armed,” Politico reported.
“The evidence shows that he remained in a restricted area,” Welch said. “That is what proof beyond a reasonable doubt looks like — but it ends there.”
Reffitt faces up to 20 years in five felony charges: two counts of civil disorder, one of obstruction of an official proceeding, one of obstruction of justice and one of entering a restricted area with a firearm. Most of the testimony on Monday appeared to center on one civil disorder charge that accuses Reffitt of impeding and interfering with police amid civil unrest.
He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
