Jan 8, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Woman who took 14-year-old son to Capitol on Jan. 6 gets 3 months in jail

Photo of tear gas in the air as Trump supporters clash with law enforcement at the Capitol complex

Trump supporters storm the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

A woman who brought her 14-year-old son to the Capitol on Jan. 6 last year will serve three months in jail for illegally parading in the complex during the insurrection, CNN reported Friday.

Why it matters: Virginia Spencer and her husband entered a hallway of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices while inside the Capitol, later joining a crowd that attempted to enter the House chamber as lawmakers were still trapped inside, per court documents.

Worth noting: It's one of the longer sentences handed to Jan. 6 defendants who face charges for non-violent misdemeanors, CNN notes.

  • Spencer will also be on probation for three years.

Details: Spencer pleaded guilty in September and expressed regret over her actions on Jan. 6, but District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rebuked her on Friday for her "lack of judgment," per CNN.

  • It's "very hard to comprehend ... why you would bring a 14-year-old minor son to the Capitol," Kollar-Kotelly said.
  • "Law enforcement had weapons, some of the [rioters] had weapons," she added. "I don't understand but I sincerely hope he is alright."
  • Spencer's husband has pleaded not guilty to several charges.

The big picture: The Justice Department has arrested 725 people in connection to the riots in nearly all 50 states.

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