Jury finds guilty of man who broke into Speaker's office and photographed during Capitol riot
A jury ruled Monday (January 23) that the American man who posed with his feet on the desk of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol was Richard Barnett was convicted on all eight counts.
A jury in Washington found Barnett guilty of disturbing public order, interfering with police and obstructing an official government process.
Barnett is from southern Arkansas. His photographs are among the most famous of the Capitol riots. At the time, when the riots occurred, Congress was meeting to certify that Biden had won the November 3, 2020 presidential election.
Barnett took an envelope from the speaker to another lawmaker in Pelosi's office and left Pelosi a note that contained profanity.
Barnett was convicted of theft for taking the envelope and carrying a dangerous weapon for carrying a stun gun and keeping it in a folding cane.
The trial took place in federal district court in Washington, D.C., and lasted two weeks. The accused appeared in court to defend himself during the trial.
Speaking to media outside court after the jury's verdict, Barnett said his guilty verdict was "unjust" and said he would appeal. He cited grounds for the appeal, including his request to change the venue of the trial from Washington to Arkansas, but the judge rejected it.
"This is not a jury of peers," he said.
Barnett's lawyer argued that Barnett did not know at the time that Congress had certified Biden's victory on the day of the riots, and said that Barnett was pushed into the Capitol by the crowd.
Prosecutors accused Barnett of repeatedly lying on the witness stand and said he had a history of carrying weapons at political demonstrations.
Barnett is under house arrest in Arkansas until his sentencing decision is due in May.
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