Jan. 6 Rioter Found Guilty After ‘Gobbledygook’ Defense
A Jan. 6 rioter who represented himself in his criminal trial and whose arguments an exasperated judge called “bullshit” and “gobbledygook” was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday of obstruction of an official proceeding, assaulting officers and civil disorder, and four misdemeanor charges. During pretrial proceedings last week, Taylor James Johnatakis declared that he would accept “full liability” and wanted to “come to a resolution” but repeatedly rejected plea deals to his charges. Judge Royce Lamberth said he could have reduced his sentence if he “weren’t so hardheaded.” NBC News reported that Johnatakis defended himself with sovereign citizens statements, which propose that government laws should not have any authority over individuals. “I have repented all my sins,” Johnatakis said. He asked Lamberth to “discharge” the case since there was no “controversy.” Johnatakis is one of the more than 1,200 people who have been charged for their role in the Capitol attack.
