Jan. 6 convict pardoned by Trump has charges dismissed; judge writes that full dismissal would dishonor police
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Federal charges were formally dropped Thursday against a Versailles, Missouri, man who was convicted for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Matthew Loganbill was convicted in 2023 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C., of obstructing an official proceeding, entering and remaining in restricted grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
President Donald Trump issued pardons earlier this week for hundreds of people who faced court proceedings and convictions for storming the Capitol. False claims about the validity of the 2020 presidential election were spread on social media in the months following the election.
Loganbill wore a helmet and gas mask carrying a backpack and American flag and entered the Upper West Terrace doors after outnumbered police officers retreated, according to previous reporting.
The felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding was dismissed with prejudice, while the remaining misdemeanor charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled later.
Jackson wrote in court documents that dismissing the entire case with prejudice would have been disrespectful to police.
“Dismissing the entire case with prejudice would dishonor the hundreds of law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line against impossible odds to protect not only the U.S. Capitol building and the people who worked there – who were huddled inside in terror as windows and doors were shattered – but to protect the very essence of democracy: the peaceful transfer of power,” Jackson wrote.
“No stroke of a pen and no proclamation can alter the facts of what took place on January 6, 2021. When others in the public eye are not willing to risk their own power or popularity by calling out lies when they hear them, the record of the proceedings in this courthouse will be available to those who seek the truth.”
Loganbill told ABC 17 News earlier this week that he was peacefully protesting while in the Capitol and that he shouldn’t have been charged. He also said he didn’t agree with every pardon issued, particularly for those who assaulted police officers.
