Jan. 6 Rioter Who Repped Himself Sent to Jail After Being Held in Contempt

A Jan. 6 defendant who represented himself in court after being accused of smoking marijuana in a senator’s office during the Capitol attack was held in criminal contempt on Tuesday, with the judge overseeing his trial smacking him with a five-month jail sentence before jury deliberations in the case were even set to begin. Brandon Fellows, 29, has been in custody since June 2021 on a federal felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, as well as a number of other misdemeanors. As his trial, which began last week, wrapped up on Tuesday, Fellows took the stand. Asked about sitting down in the office that belonged to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Fellows remarked, “I didn’t know it was a senator’s desk. It felt very comfy.” He also insisted that the rioters “had the right to overthrow” the government on Jan. 6. Later, as U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden explained to Fellows that he had forfeited his right to a rebuttal, Fellows replied, “I would expect nothing less from a kangaroo court,” according to NBC News. His contempt sentence was first reported by a Politico journalist. The jury is expected to begin deliberating on Fellows’ charges on Wednesday morning.