By Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner | SOURCE: THE GAZETTE
A top defense lawyer involved in over 50 cases stemming from the January 6 Capitol riots said the Justice Department is overreaching in its prosecution of some 1,300 cases on Tuesday, many against bystanders.
Kira Anne West, who volunteered to defend dozens of suspects, said in an interview that cases Justice would typically handle as misdemeanors are being turned into felonies and Washington juries are throwing the book at those convicted in the riots.
In a C-SPAN Booknotes podcast just posted, West said, “There is quite a bit of government overreach as far as who they’re prosecuting and what they’re charging them with.”