Capitol rioter Boyd Camper, who brought his 10-year-old son with him to the Capitol but left the boy outside of the building with a friend, has been sentenced to two months in prison. Camper had previously pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of illegally parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol building, which has repeatedly appeared in plea deals for lower-level offenders. The charge comes with a sentence of up to six months behind bars, unlike the more serious charges doled out against felony offenders among the Capitol riot crowd. Obstruction of an official proceeding, for instance, can culminate in 20 years in jail, although much shorter sentences are possible.
FLASH: Judge sentences Boyd Camper of Montana to two months in prison in distinctive Jan 6 case. Camper acknowledged bringing his 10 y/o son with him to Capitol, leaving son outside w/ adult friend https://t.co/4XT4E56f0j
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) November 12, 2021
Two months in jail is exactly what prosecutors had sought for Camper from the judge. Amid the proceedings, the judge told Camper that “clearly your intent and mindset… was to participate in this self-described insurrection,” adding that “violence is an unacceptable way to resolve political differences.” The judge also said that Camper should speak with his son about the value of democracy, which was clearly threatened by what happened at the Capitol back in January.
Judge: “Violence is an unacceptable way to resolve political differences”. Judge says Camper should teach his son about the value of democracy
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) November 12, 2021
At one point, as previously reported on this site, Camper bragged during a CBS interview about participating in the rioting at the Capitol — and he didn’t do so anonymously. Rather, the segment introduced Camper by name and noted that he was from Montana. In the interview, the journalist asked Camper whether he’d been inside the Capitol, to which he replied that he was “on the front line,” adding at another point that “we’re going to take this damn place… if you haven’t heard it’s called the insurrection act and we the people are ready.”
Although Camper did not stand accused of perpetrating physical violence at the Capitol, Trump himself has defended those who did — he characterized what happened there as merely a “protest” rather than an “insurrection.” Trump has also justified the chants of “Hang Mike Pence!” that rang out at the Capitol that day. Asked by journalist Jonathan Karl about the chant, Trump said, in reference to Pence’s role overseeing the formal certification by Congress of the presidential election results: “Because it’s common sense, Jon. It’s common sense that you’re supposed to protect. How can you — if you know a vote is fraudulent, right? — how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?”
