A Slap in the Face: Jan. 6 Pardons Shock Former Prosecutors and Cops
On a day of controversial moves, President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon all of the Jan. 6 defendants, including those who assaulted police officers, might have been his most contentious executive order.
Jan. 6: A Day of Chaos and Violence
Jan. 6, 2021, was a day of chaos, a day of violence directed squarely at the police officers who were guarding the United States Capitol Building.
Reactions from Former Prosecutors and Cops
"It’s just mind-boggling, you can hear the cops crying in pain, you can see everything that went on there and now it’s like it doesn’t matter," said former Miami Police major David Magnusson.
Pardons: A Betrayal of Law Enforcement
As he signed the pardons, Trump said, "So this is January 6th, these are the hostages, approximately 15-hundred, full pardon." He calls them hostages, the rioters who were convicted and sentenced in a court of law in the largest federal investigation in United States history. Several prosecutors based in Miami worked on some of the cases. More than 140 officers were injured in the rampage, some permanently.
"Did we forget about their gallantry and their courage?" asked Magnusson, who was a cop for 37 years, mostly with Miami Police but he was also the chief of the El Portal Police Department.
"I would not be for a pardon for anybody that attacked our House on January 6th, but especially those that attacked the men and women of law enforcement, it’s just incomprehensible to me," Magnusson said.
A Slap in the Face to Law Enforcement
Mike Fanone was one of the D.C. police officers injured in the riot. He testified in Congress, and he has made numerous appearances on television, including CNN on Monday night.
"Rest assured, I have been betrayed by my country," Fanone said.
Jeffrey Sloman was a federal prosecutor for 20 years and the former U.S. Attorney in Miami. I asked him what he thought when he heard that the president had pardoned all of the Jan. 6 convicts.
"I was sick to my stomach, I was appalled," Sloman said. "And I was almost more appalled by the fact that it’s an attempt to erase history."
A Betrayal of Trust
Another former federal prosecutor, David Weinstein, says the prosecutors and FBI agents worked hard to bring the rioters to justice, only to see their work undone by the pardons.
"It certainly leaves the prosecutors who were involved in these cases with a very empty feeling in the pit of their stomach," Weinstein said.
"This is a slap in the face to law enforcement officials and prosecutors and everyone who believes in the rule of law," said Dave Aronberg, who was the state attorney of Palm Beach County for 12 years until he recently went into private practice. "Donald Trump ran on always having the backs of law enforcement, back the blue, but you cannot back the blue if you pardon people who attack police officers."
Conclusion
The pardons have left many in the law enforcement community feeling betrayed and disillusioned. It remains to be seen how this decision will affect Trump’s popularity and whether other lawmakers will speak out against it.
FAQs
- What were the charges related to the January 6th incident?
- The charges included assault, rioting, and other crimes.
- Who was affected by the pardons?
- All of the Jan. 6 defendants, including those who assaulted police officers, were pardoned.
- What was the reaction from law enforcement officials?
- Many law enforcement officials, including former prosecutors and police officers, expressed shock and disappointment at the pardons, calling it a betrayal of law enforcement and the rule of law.
