Monday marks a turning point in the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
Guy Reffitt, from Texas, has been held in pre-trial detention since last January. He is on trial facing five felony counts.
He’s accused of allegedly carrying a pistol in a holster on Capitol grounds. Although he’s not charged with entering the building at all, prosecutors want to persuade the jury that he joined with a mob seeking to disrupt Congress as they certified the election. This charge alone has a maximum 20-year sentence.
He’s also accused of charging at police.
The stakes are high for his case. If he wins, it could encourage other Jan. 6 detainees to fight in court, and if he loses, it could prompt others to make plea deals with the government.
