Sandpoint [Idaho] man tied to Capitol siege arrested

Coeur d'Alene Press ^ | February 13, 2021 | Craig Northrup

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Federal agents arrested a Sandpoint, Idaho man Friday morning in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Michael Pope was arrested without incident on charges of:

• obstruction or impeding an official proceeding
• civil disorder
• entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
• disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
• disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
• impeding passage through the Capitol grounds
• parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Pope made a virtual appearance at the U.S. District Courthouse in Boise Friday afternoon.

Shortly after his arrest, Pope’s brother — William — was arrested in Topeka, Kansas, on similar charges by members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with officers from the Topeka Police Department.

The Pope brothers represent the 220th and 221st people nationwide who have been charged with crimes stemming from the Capitol attack, when a rally demanding an end to the Congressional certification of now-President Joe Biden turned into a violent siege on the Capitol building. At least three people — a Capitol police officer and two rioters — were killed in the violence. Two others died on the scene, and two police officers protecting the Capitol killed themselves in the ensuing days.

The Capitol riot has been the focus of this week’s impeachment proceedings aimed at convicting former President Donald Trump. Those proceedings are expected to wrap up over the weekend, as early as Saturday afternoon.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The Couer d'Alene Press is a liberal rag in very conservative North Idaho. Like most papers, they have a horrible liberal / progressive / commie flavor.

The list of charges agains Mr. Pope above is staggering and it looks like these seven charges could get these poor people decades in the fed pen. They are clearly being railroaded and being made examples of. Yet all the insurrectionists and seditionists who led the coup against Trump for four long years will never be held to account. Nor will the antifa scum scum destroying our cities. Plus the antifa commies that were extremely violent in Washington during Trump's inauguration four years ago were all released and not sentenced. There is zero justice in the USA.

The feds have now arrested 221 people with respect to the events in Washington DC on January 6. The feds have been able to find these people all over the country, yet we still have NO information about who killed Ashli or about the agent provocateurs who instigated the capital riot.

[2banana]

So this couldn’t have been done against BLM and Antifa all summer long?

[sauropod]

That list of charges could apply to any of us that have been politically active over the years.

[ifinnegan]

“The Couer d’Alene Press is a liberal rag in very conservative North Idaho. Like most papers, they have a horrible liberal / progressive / commie flavor.”

Thanks for the background. At least it reported the charges.

“The list of charges agains Mr. Pope above is staggering and it looks like these seven charges could get these poor people decades in the fed pen.”

It’s weird I read them and they seem like nothing. Hardly serious crimes.

“They are clearly being railroaded and being made examples of.”

It would seem so.

[Bishop_Malachi]

These tools called it a “Capital Siege”?

I wonder what they called the takeover of several city blocks in Portland for months? A Block Party?

[Lurkinanloomin]

Burning Looting Mobs and Antifags are protected groups who will not be investigated.

[Hambone 1934]

No...These are the dems foot soldiers and they are to be left alone to do whatever needs to be done to keep the rest of us in line.....

[Aria]

Isn’t there something about equal protection that would apply here?

I wonder if they’ll get down to calling the sorts of things said on websites like this one “hate speech”.

[ifinnegan]

obstruction or impeding an official proceeding — big deal. A fine.

civil disorder - what does that mean? Again, though, a fine.

entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds - trespassing. Again, a fine.

disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. Oooooh. Disorder. Fine.

disorderly conduct in a Capitol building - ooh ooh ooh. It’s the Capitol. They should get the same as all the code pink and Kavanaugh protestors - ie nothing.

impeding passage through the Capitol grounds - this is a stretch.

parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building - oh my stars! The horror. Let’s see, who has been convicted of that in the past 50 years.

[Deaf Smith]

The night shot of DC burning last Summer was impresive, but not enough to draw attention for F Troop to investigate.

[Socon-Econ]

That list of charges could apply to any of us that have been politically active over the years.
**********?
Not so. The most effective political activists avoid ineffective, destructive lawbreaking like that — and stay away from those who do not. They would have been better off staging a peaceful sit-in that left the Capitol cleaner than they found it. Those clowns ended up hurting their cause, helping the ANTIFA agenda, and ruining themselves.

[Pining_4_TX]

Normally those charges wouldn’t be a big deal, but the deep state will want to make an example of these people to put fear into others. They will find a liberal judge who will throw the book at these guys.

[A strike]

Our fascist FBI/deepState Uniparty government will track down, punish, eliminate anyone that challenges their thug tyranny.

[A strike]

Our fascist FBI/deepState Uniparty government will track down, punish, eliminate anyone that challenges their thug tyranny.

[bray]

What two protestors died? We know about Ashli which may have not died at all but who was the other one?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

What Are The Penalties For Entering Or Remaining In A Restricted Federal Building Or Grounds?

18 U.S. Code § 1752 defines “restricted buildings or grounds” as “any posted, cordoned off, or otherwise restricted area”—
“[O]f the White House or its grounds, or the Vice President’s official residence or its grounds.” 18 U.S.C. 1752(c)(1)(A).
“[O]f a building or grounds where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(c)(1)(B).
“[O]f a building or grounds so restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(c)(1)(C).

As applied to the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, federal prosecutors can make a very convincing argument to the court that the joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College votes for the next President of the United States would qualify as “a special event of national significance.”

The penalties for entering or remaining on or in a restricted building or grounds are as follows:

• A misdemeanor conviction punishable by a fine or up to one year imprisonment, or both. 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(2).
• A felony conviction punishable by a fine or up to ten years imprisonment, or both, if EITHER of the following apply:
  • “[T]he person, during and in relation to the offense, uses or carries a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(1)(A).
  • “[T]he offense results in significant bodily injury.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(1)(B).

The basis underlying legal theory of 18 U.S.C. §1752 is to prohibit trespassing. The government has the right to control the presence of the general public on its property. Arguments that federal buildings belong to the “taxpayers” and they can come and go as they please will not work as a suitable defense. The government has the right to establish reasonable regulations for members of the public being on the grounds, even important buildings such as the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

Very likely, the rioters charged with entering or remaining in or on a restricted building or grounds will attack the charge on the basis that their First Amendment right to protest the government. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that governments can impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on constitutionally protected activity. For example, protestors are free to congregate outside of the Capitol building and engage in peaceful and orderly demonstrations, provided that they are not disrupting governmental activity. It is unlikely that the rioters will defeat the charges on this basis.

[kvanbrunt2]

The charges sound like a scene from “A Clockwork Orange” Stanley Kubrick

[ProtectOurFreedom]

See #16 above. It won't be a slap on the wrist or let go on OR like those bastards that destroyed Wash DC on Trump's inauguration.

The penalties for entering or remaining on or in a restricted building or grounds are as follows:

• A misdemeanor conviction punishable by a fine or up to one year imprisonment, or both. 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(2).

• A felony conviction punishable by a fine or up to ten years imprisonment, or both, if EITHER of the following apply:
    - “[T]he person, during and in relation to the offense, uses or carries a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(1)(A).
    - “[T]he offense results in significant bodily injury.” 18 U.S.C. §1752(b)(1)(B).

There was lots of "significant bodily injury" on that day. Would they stick everybody with that enhancement? Or only the one who perpetrated the injury?

[FreedomPoster]

The Capitol “insurrection” was theoretically by the most well-armed half of the most well-armed citizenry on the planet, yet strangely no shots were fired by the “insurgents.” Funny, that.

This whole event, while stupid and regrettable at best, has been totally overblown and oversold by the Left.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Especially considering that a half million people were a mile away listening to President Trump.

There were lots of enemy agitators there that day egging on true patriotic conservatives who stupidly got caught up in the “festivities.”