Otero Commissioner guilty of entering restricted US Capitol grounds, not guilty of disorderly conduct in 1/6 riot trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has convicted Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin of illegally entering restricted U.S. Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct during the riot that disrupted Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden heard one day of testimony without a jury Monday before handing down a verdict Tuesday in the misdemeanor case against Griffin.

Griffin’s Washington, D.C., trial was the second among the hundreds of federal cases arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, siege. Griffin is among the few riot defendants who wasn’t accused of entering the Capitol building or engaging in violent or destructive behavior.This is a breaking news story.

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