Judge Frees January 6 Protester Following Supreme Court Decision

A federal judge has ruled to release a defendant involved in the January 6 Capitol insurrection following a recent Supreme Court decision.

This June, the Supreme Court determined that charges of federal felony “obstruction of an official proceeding” must demonstrate that a defendant “impaired the availability or integrity” of documents, rather than just obstructing the proceedings themselves.

Prosecutors had assumed this charge applied to those who disrupted the January 6, 2021, joint session of Congress, which was interrupted by a mob attempting to reverse the 2020 election results for former President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell granted the request for release of Patrick Stedman, who had been convicted on the felony obstruction charge along with four misdemeanors last year. In her ruling, Howell referenced the Supreme Court’s decision to support Stedman’s appeal for release.

However, Stedman won’t be released until October 27, as he still must serve a mandatory 12-month sentence for his misdemeanor convictions, which are unaffected by the Supreme Court ruling. He had pushed for “immediate conditional release pending appeal.”

Stedman, who describes himself as a “dating and relationship coach for men,” was originally sentenced to a total of 48 months in prison based on his felony conviction. He turned himself in to federal authorities on October 27, 2023.

His misdemeanor charges include illegally entering restricted areas, disorderly conduct, and parading inside the Capitol.

Judge Howell noted that Stedman’s behavior while incarcerated—especially his continued promotion of false election claims—demonstrated a lack of remorse. She pointed out that Stedman appears to be either trying to maintain his online following or genuinely believes in these falsehoods.

“Whether he’s a charlatan or misguided, his rhetoric reflects a distorted reality that contributed to the events on January 6,” she stated.

During the Capitol riots, Stedman was part of the initial wave of supporters who forced entry, reportedly crying out “storming the Capitol.” He later entered the office of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In a post-attack video, he claimed that “patriots” had stolen hard drives from the Capitol and referenced the unsubstantiated QAnon conspiracy theory about Trump battling a cabal of Democrats involved in a child trafficking ring.