Judge Dismisses January 6 Charges Against Proud Boys Group
WHO:
CNN - U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly stated, “I lack the authority to compel the Executive to pursue a prosecution, full stop.”
The Guardian - Judge Kelly noted that the Proud Boys' case was treated similarly to other January 6 cases, regardless of the seriousness of the conduct.
Newsweek - The Department of Justice requested the dismissal of the Proud Boys' convictions.
CBS News - Judge Timothy Kelly stated, “It is hard to see how any course other than granting the motion in full could make practical sense.”
The Guardian - Rehl celebrated the dismissal in a post on X, saying, “Finally, it’s all over! January 6th can now be a thing of the past for me!”
CNN - Enrique Tarrio boasted on X, “Justice is served! Proud Boys don’t lose. We win. This is our victory.”
CNN - U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, dismissed the case against Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola.
The Guardian - Proud Boys group, led by Enrique Tarrio, who was also pardoned by Trump.
CBS News - The Department of Justice (DoJ) under Todd Blanche.
WHAT:
CBS News - The Justice Department under Todd Blanche moved to vacate the convictions against a dozen former members of the right-wing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, most of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
The Guardian - The judge's ruling dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys, undoing convictions secured by the Biden administration.
ABC News - A federal judge dismissed the remaining charges against the Proud Boys, marking the end of a significant case against them.
The Guardian - The judge noted that the Proud Boys' actions included breaking a Capitol window, which became an iconic image of the January 6 events.
CNN - Judge Timothy Kelly stated, “The decisions to issue the Executive Order and to abandon this prosecution—even after the Government secured convictions for serious crimes relating to the attack on the Capitol on January 6—are solely the Executive’s.”
The Guardian - Judge Kelly noted that the Proud Boys' case was treated similarly to other January 6 cases, regardless of the seriousness of the conduct.
CBS News - The Justice Department's motion to vacate the convictions was made in April, and the appeals court approved it in May, leading to the dismissal of the case.
CNN - The ruling dismisses the seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys, undoing convictions secured by the Biden administration.
The Guardian - The dismissal erases some of the most serious convictions from the investigation of the Capitol riot, one of the largest federal investigations in U.S. history.
CNN - Judge Kelly stated, “President Trump’s views about the prosecution of those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6—whether those views are based on fact or fiction—are well known, as is his intention to extend clemency to them through the Executive Order.”
The Guardian - Judge Kelly noted that the case was initiated “while President Trump was still in power” in the days after the attack.
CBS News - The Justice Department moved to vacate the convictions against a dozen former members of the right-wing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, most of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy.
CBS News - Judge Kelly remarked, “It is hard to see how any course other than granting the motion in full could make practical sense.”
CNN - Judge Kelly stated, “Moving forward, if this Nation’s experiment in self-government is to last another 250 years, the American people—no matter their partisan preferences—will have to act together to preserve, protect and defend that miracle through our constitutional framework.”
The Guardian - Judge Kelly noted that Pezzola’s destruction of the Capitol window was recorded in a social media video that quickly became one of the iconic images of the day.
CBS News - Pezzola was convicted of assaulting or resisting officers, robbery involving government property, obstruction, and other charges.
CNN - The seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys was dismissed, undoing convictions secured by the Biden administration.
The Guardian - Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl were convicted of multiple crimes, including seditious conspiracy, while Pezzola was convicted of assaulting an officer and breaking a Capitol window.
CBS News - The Justice Department moved to vacate the convictions of the Proud Boys, which were initially upheld after their sentencing in 2023.
WHERE:
CNN - The ruling was made in Washington, DC.
WHEN:
CBS News - The judge's ruling occurred on July 10, 2026.
CNN - The convictions of Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl occurred in 2023.
The Guardian - Trump commuted the sentences of the Proud Boys in 2025.
CBS News - The Justice Department's motion to vacate the convictions was made in April, and the appeals court approved it in May.
WHY:
CBS News - Judge Kelly remarked that the dismissal was based on Trump’s desire to excuse the violence of his supporters, stating, “[T]here is little mystery about why the Government is moving to dismiss this case, or whether dismissal is in fact what the Executive seeks.”
CNN - Judge Kelly stated that the dismissal was influenced by President Trump's desire to excuse the violence of his supporters, indicating that the request was not based on facts or law.
The Guardian - Judge Kelly remarked that the dismissal was based on Trump’s desire to excuse the violence of his supporters, stating, “[T]here is little mystery about why the Government is moving to dismiss this case, or whether dismissal is in fact what the Executive seeks.”
CBS News - Judge Kelly noted that the dismissal was based on Trump’s desire to excuse the violence of his supporters.
The Guardian - Kelly observed, “[T]here is little mystery about why the Government is moving to dismiss this case, or whether dismissal is in fact what the Executive seeks.”
CBS News - Judge Kelly remarked that President Trump's views about January 6 are based on "fiction," while also citing a lack of other levers he could pull to stop the move.
CNN - Judge Kelly stated he lacked the authority to compel the Executive to pursue a prosecution.
The Guardian - Kelly noted that the dismissal was based on Trump’s desire to excuse the violence of his supporters.
CBS News - Kelly indicated that denying the motion would not revive the convictions vacated by the Court of Appeals.
HOW:
CBS News - Kelly's ruling was a procedural measure following the appeals court's approval in May, which sent the case back to him.
The Guardian - The judge's decision was described as a procedural measure following the appeals court's approval to vacate the convictions.
CBS News - Kelly's ruling was a procedural measure following the appeals court's approval in May, which sent the case back to him.
CBS News - Kelly's ruling was a procedural measure after a panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia signed off on the dismissal of the convictions in May, and sent the case back down to him.
CNN - The Justice Department under Trump moved to vacate the convictions.
The Guardian - The case was initiated while Trump was still in power, and the dismissal was a procedural measure following the appeals court's approval.
CBS News - Kelly stated that granting the motion to dismiss was the only practical course of action.
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 20:14 UTC)
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly has dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys, stating he lacks the authority to compel the Executive to pursue a prosecution. This ruling comes as the Justice Department, led by Todd Blanche, moved to vacate the convictions of a dozen former members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, which were secured by the Biden administration. Judge Kelly noted that the case was treated similarly to other January 6 cases and remarked on Trump's influence in the decision, saying there is little mystery about the government's motives for dismissal.
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 19:19 UTC)
A federal judge has dismissed the remaining charges against the Proud Boys, effectively ending a significant case against them. This ruling followed a request from the Department of Justice to dismiss the Proud Boys' convictions and was influenced by President Trump's desire to excuse the violence of his supporters, according to Judge Kelly. Notably, the judge referenced the Proud Boys' actions, including breaking a Capitol window, which has become an iconic image of the January 6 events.
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 17:16 UTC)
A federal judge has ruled that the decision to dismiss the Proud Boys' case, which involved serious crimes related to the January 6 Capitol attack, rests solely with the Executive, referring to President Trump. Judge Timothy Kelly emphasized that the case was treated similarly to other January 6 cases, regardless of the severity of the actions involved. He also pointed out that the dismissal appears to align with Trump's intent to excuse the violence of his supporters, noting that there is little mystery about the government's motivation to move forward with this dismissal.
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 12:12 UTC)
A judge has dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against the Proud Boys, effectively undoing serious convictions related to the Capitol riot, which was one of the largest federal investigations in U.S. history. Judge Timothy Kelly stated that it is hard to see how any course other than granting the motion in full could make practical sense, noting that the dismissal was influenced by Trump's desire to excuse the violence of his supporters. Following the ruling, Proud Boys members celebrated on social media, with Enrique Tarrio declaring, "Justice is served! Proud Boys don’t lose. We win. This is our victory."
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 10:20 UTC)
A judge has stated that President Trump’s views on the prosecution of those involved in the January 6 Capitol attack are well known, including his intention to extend clemency through an Executive Order. The Justice Department has moved to vacate the convictions of a dozen former members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, with the judge noting that granting this motion makes practical sense. This ruling follows a procedural measure from a U.S. Court of Appeals panel that approved the dismissal of the convictions in May and returned the case to the judge.
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 06:39 UTC)
Judge Kelly emphasized the importance of unity among the American people to ensure the nation's self-government endures for another 250 years, regardless of partisan preferences. He also highlighted that Pezzola's destruction of a Capitol window became one of the iconic images of January 6, as he was convicted of multiple charges, including assaulting officers and robbery involving government property. In his remarks, Judge Kelly criticized President Trump's views on January 6 as being rooted in "fiction," pointing out that there were no other options available to him to prevent the events of that day.
--
(UPDATED July 11, 2026 05:51 UTC)
In a significant ruling, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola, effectively overturning their convictions secured by the Biden administration. The Justice Department, under Trump, moved to vacate these convictions, which were initially upheld after sentencing in 2023, and Judge Kelly noted that he lacked the authority to compel the Executive to pursue a prosecution. He emphasized that granting the motion to dismiss was the only practical course of action, highlighting Trump's influence in the case, including his commutation of the Proud Boys' sentences in 2025.