Summary

  • Four members of the far-right Proud Boys group are found guilty of seditious conspiracy over the 2021 US Capitol riot

  • The Civil War-era charge, which is defined as a plot to overthrow the government, is rarely used and carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison

  • Joseph Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl and the group’s ex-leader Enrique Tarrio are all convicted, but the jury remains split on whether Dominic Pezzola is guilty

  • The jury in Washington DC only reached a partial verdict and has been instructed to continue deliberating on multiple outstanding charges

  • The four-month trial saw prosecutors argue that the Proud Boys were "thirsting for violence" on 6 January 2021

  • Hundreds of people face charges over the riot, which saw Donald Trump supporters storm the Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory

Live Reporting

Brandon Livesay and Marianna Brady

  1. What charges do the defendants face?

    The most significant charge faced by the five defendants is seditious conspiracy.

    Seditious conspiracy is when a group of people plot to overthrow the government or use force "to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States".

    It's a rarely used law that dates from the Civil War.

    All told, each of the five defendants face ten counts.

    The other counts are:

    • Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding
    • Obstruction of an Official Proceeding
    • Conspiracy to Prevent an Officer from Discharging Duties
    • Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder and Aiding and Abetting
    • Two counts of Destruction of Government Property, and Aiding and Abetting
    • Two counts of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers
    • Robbery of Personal Property of the United States

  2. Welcome to our live coverage

    The jury in the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy case has reached a partial verdict.

    Follow along as we learn more.