Thread by @ZoeTillman

Hello from Judge Amy Berman Jackson's virtual courtroom, where sentencing is about to begin for Capitol rioter Mark Simon, who took a misdemeanor plea — govt wants 45 days in jail, Simon wants probation.

"In the Capitol baby, yeah!"
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2104…

Govt sentencing memo: s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2111…

Simon sentencing memo: s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2112…

Dial-in for Judge Jackson:
Toll Free Number: 888-363-4735
Access Code: 9203812

AUSA Brenda Johnson refers to video Simon posted online from the Capitol, but she doesn't play it since the judge says she already watched it. Johnson says it shows the "horde" of rioters Simon was part of, passing broken glass, alarm blaring, tear gas, and he didn't turn back

Johnson argues that a letter Simon wrote to the judge saying he was under the alcohol and drugs on Jan. 6 doesn't help his case, raises question of whether he brought drugs to DC or got them here, he's a person "who exercises bad judgment"

Simon's lawyer Amy Karlin says he's had a drug and alcohol problem, but is trying to stay sober and turn his life around, reconnect with his family and employment. She said his conduct going into the Capitol was minimal compared to others charged, probation is appropriate

Simon briefly addresses the judge, he apologizes for his conduct, says he's continuing his recovery and has never had problems with the law when he's sober: "I am a different man today"

Jackson is taking a short break to consider things before announcing Simon's sentence

Judge Amy Berman Jackson is back on the bench. She says it may be true that Mark Simon's conduct on Jan. 6 was in part because of a substance abuse relapse, but says he made choices — flying to DC, going up to the Capitol, going inside (notes his girlfriend turned around)

Jackson says Simon seemed to think what he was doing was "cool" and, in what sounds like a mocking tone, quotes his line from the video he recorded, "in the Capitol baby, yeah!"

Jackson says Simon wasn't being prosecuted for his support for Trump, notes he went to the Stop the Steal rally before with his girlfriend, but she wasn't charged (she didn't go inside with him), she says he was an "enthusiastic participant" in effort to get inside the Capitol

Jackson says Simon wasn't a "tourist": "You were not here to see the sights," but were rather part of an effort to subvert democracy.

See: buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetil…

Jackson says Simon placed his trust in someone who repaid that trust by lying to him (she doesn't name the "someone" but fair to guess she's referring to Trump)

Now: Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentences Capitol rioter Mark Simon to 35 days in jail, slightly less than the 45 days requested by the govt and more than the probation sentence Simon wanted

In explaining the sentence, Jackson highlighted the fact that Simon violated probation in an earlier case when he traveled to DC for Jan. 6. She said a sentence had to deter others from taking matters into their own hands, noting divisions in this country haven't gone away