Jan 7, 2022 - Politics & Policy

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

Shawna Chen

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

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