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The Daily Wire
Daily Wire
21 Jan 2025
Amanda Prestigiacomo


NextImg:DC Jail Reportedly Refuses To Release Some J6 Defendants. What’s Going On?

Some January 6 defendants were reportedly not released from a Washington, D.C. jail on Monday night, following President Donald Trump’s sweeping Executive Order offering full pardons, dismissals, or commutations to nearly all defendants.

A White House liaison showed up at the jail late Monday and said two brothers, Andrew Valentin, 26, and Matthew Valentin, 31, had been released, per Trump’s order.

However, people gathered outside the jail said there were other defendants still inside:

A possible explanation was posted on X by WUSA 9 investigative reporter Jordan Fischer. Basically, Trump’s order gave full pardons to almost everyone convicted of J6-related crimes. However, if someone is in jail and still awaiting trial, their case, per the order, will be dismissed. The dismissal of such cases could take longer to process, according to Fischer.

“Trump’s order pardoned people *convicted* of crimes related to Jan. 6. Defendants still awaiting trial or sentencing — the vast majority at the jail — have not been pardoned,” he wrote. “Trump ordered their cases dismissed. That’s not going to happen at 11 p.m. on a federal holiday.”

Notably, the two men who were released from the jail had been recently convicted.

“The confusion is understandable,” Fischer added. “Pardoning is something the president can do by fiat. Dismissing a federal case requires a U.S attorney to file a motion with the presiding judge, who then must grant the motion and order the defendant’s release.”

Here’s the language from Trump’s executive order about such cases: “I further direct the Attorney General to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive.”

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Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), though, has excoriated the D.C. jail for not releasing all defendants immediately. Lee said he’s working to verify why the delay is happening, and said D.C.’s “Home Rule” should be repealed:

Related: Trump Issues Full Pardon To Nearly All J6 Defendants, Could Be Released From Prison ‘Tonight’