A federal judge has acquitted Joshua Black, a defendant of the January 6th U.S Capitol riot, of obstruction charges, according to a report from The Daily Wire.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the prosecution failed to present evidence of Black’s intent to prevent Congress from carrying out its duties on that day.
Black, who hails from Alabama, was convicted of other charges, including possession of a deadly weapon on Capitol grounds.
Black was arrested after the riot, in which he was seen in images and videos with a bloody cheek.
The Alabama man claimed his injury was sustained while he was trying to protect law enforcement from some of the protesters.
In a YouTube video, which was later deleted, Black stated that he felt “the spirit of God wanted [him] to go into the Senate room.”
Judge Jackson acknowledged Black’s justification in her decision to acquit him of obstruction of justice.
Black’s legal team argued that he believed the 2020 election had already been certified by the time he entered the Capitol and Senate chamber, and the prosecution did not provide any counterargument.
Judge Jackson, who was appointed by former President Obama, has a reputation for being strict on defendants in trials related to the Jan 6 riot, according to the Daily Wire.
She has also been critical of former President Trump and some of his Republican supporters, stating in September, “It is not patriotism, it is not standing up for America to stand up for one man — who knows full well that he lost — instead of the Constitution he was trying to subvert.”
