There’s a question people are wondering with regard to the J6ers that President Trump pardoned last night: Why haven’t all of the Jan. 6 defendants at DC jail been released yet?

WUSA9 answers that question by pointing out that most of the J6ers in the DC jail couldn’t be pardoned because they haven’t been convicted. Instead they are waiting on their cases to be dismissed and at that point they will be released.

When he announced the pardons, he said he pardoned all but 14 of the more than 1,500 people charged in relation to the riot — the other 14 had their sentences commuted. But the order he really signed only pardoned those who have already been convicted, and there are still more than 300 cases pending.

For those with pending cases, meaning any defendants still awaiting trial or sentencing, the president ordered that their cases be dismissed.

Most of the people being held at the D.C. jail fall into that category, which is why the majority of them have yet to be released.

Having a federal case dismissed is more complicated. Now, a U.S. attorney has to file a motion with the presiding judge, who then must grant the motion and order the defendant’s release, unlike with a pardon, where the president’s word alone is enough for release.

They report that those in jail are those awaiting trial or those serving out sentences of less than a year. Hopefully these cases will be dismissed soon and all these J6ers can finally be free.