‘It’s Not Fair’: Florida Vocal Coach Turned Capitol Rioter Gets 6 Years

“My whole dream of my life has been taken,” Audrey Southard-Rumsey reportedly said in a 15-minute tirade.

www.yahoo.com

‘It’s Not Fair’: Florida Vocal Coach Turned Capitol Rioter Gets 6 Years

Sara Boboltz Sat, July 15, 2023 at 2:19 PM PDT

A U.S. Capitol rioter who spoke up in court to verbally attack federal prosecutors and the entire federal government was sentenced to six years behind bars on Friday for physically attacking police on Jan. 6, 2021.

The woman, Audrey Ann Southard-Rumsey, 54, appeared to deliver her rambling 15-minute diatribe off the cuff, according to CBS News.

“My whole dream of my life has been taken because people have different politics than mine,” Southard-Rumsey said, the outlet reported.

Sitting before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, she added, per CBS: “I have grievances since they don’t listen to us at the polling place. They don’t listen to us little people in the regular world.”

Southard-Rumsey reportedly urged Mehta to think about “what I now have to give up” and concluded by saying, “It’s not fair.”

She had been found guilty on seven felony charges, including three counts of assaulting or resisting law enforcement and three counts of civil disorder.

Mehta reportedly called her a “one-person wrecking crew.” The judge added an optional terrorism enhancement to meet prosecutors’ requested sentence of 72 months, despite generally handing out sentences to Jan. 6 defendants that are shorter than recommended by the government.

The Spring Hill, Florida, resident worked as a vocal coach until her arrest in June 2021.

Prosecutors say she used a flagpole to push against law enforcement trying to defend the Capitol, causing one officer to hit his head on the base of a marble statue.

Southard-Rumsey was also captured on video yelling at Capitol Police, “Tell Pelosi we are coming for that bitch,” referring to the then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“There’s a hundred thousand of us! What’s it going to be?” Southard-Rumsey was heard saying on the video.

Prosecutors noted her threatening social media posts in the wake of the 2020 election, which included “HANG the TRAITORS!” and a message to “go to their work and home, pull them out by their teeth and hang them for treason!”

They won't let us install a Dick Tater 4 Life! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!

Did you geniuses see that the Justice Department is making the rare move of appealing the lenient sentences of the Oath Keepers? LOCK THEM UP as long as possible. The more unfair the better.

A message will be sent. If you try to overthrow the government, you get to die in jail. Don't like it? Go ahead and try another panty raid. Please do.

Justice Dept to appeal length of prison sentences for Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers for Jan. 6 attack

Prosecutors had sought a prison term longer than the 18-year-prison sentence received by Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the…

www.cbsnews.com

Justice Dept to appeal length of prison sentences for Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers for Jan. 6 attack

UPDATED ON: JULY 13, 2023 / 11:49 AM / CBS/AP

The Justice Department plans to appeal the 18-year-prison sentence handed down for Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, as well as those of other Oath Keepers, because the terms were not as long as what prosecutors had sought, according to court papers filed Wednesday.

Although Rhodes received a lengthy sentence for seditious conspiracy and other convictions, the 18-year term was less than the 25 years the Justice Department had asked for in one of the most serious cases to go to trial in the Capitol riot and below the range recommended under federal guidelines. Still, Rhodes' sentence was the longest handed down so far in over 1,000 Capitol riot cases.

Defendants routinely appeal their convictions and sentences, but it is more unusual for prosecutors to challenge the length of a prison term imposed by judges who have wide discretion when handing down punishments.

Rhodes' attorney, James Lee Bright, called the government's decision to appeal "surprising." At his sentencing hearing in May, a defiant Rhodes claimed to be a "political prisoner," criticized prosecutors and the Biden administration and tried to play down his actions on Jan. 6.

The Justice Department filed notices in court that they they intend to appeal the sentences of other Oath Keepers, including Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy alongside Rhodes and sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

Three other Oath Keepers tried with Rhodes were acquitted of the sedition charge but convicted of other felonies. Four Oath Keepers were convicted of the seditious conspiracy charge at a second trial in January.

An attorney for Meggs declined to comment Wednesday.

In May, prosecutors had argued before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta that Rhodes, who is 58, qualified for a more lengthy sentence under federal anti-terrorism laws given the "threat of harm and the historic significance" of his crimes. Mehta agreed to impose the terrorism enhancement, noting that Rhodes did not demonstrate "acceptance of responsibility" for his role in the attack. It was the first time the enhancement had been applied to a Jan. 6 defendant.

But the judge ultimately went below — in some cases far below — the sentence prosecutors were seeking for each defendant.

The Justice Department's announcement came after it suffered a rare setback in a related case involving Oath Keepers associates. A former "Jesus Christ Superstar" actor was acquitted Wednesday of conspiring with members of the far-right extremist group to obstruct Congress in the Capitol attack.

James Beeks — a former Oath Keeper and Florida resident who was playing Judas in the traveling production of the musical when he was arrested — was cleared of conspiracy to obstruct Congress' certification of the 2020 election and civil disorder after a trial in federal court.

Mehta, appointed to the bench by former President Obama, was also the judge in Beeks' case. He ruled Wednesday there was little evidence that Beeks actually planned ahead of Jan. 6 or was aware of the group's alleged conspiracy, according to WUSA Reporter Jordan Fischer. "I just can't get there based on this stipulated evidence," Mehta said, according to Fischer.

However, Mehta convicted Beeks' co-defendant, Ohio resident Donovan Crowl, of the same charges after hearing evidence without a jury. Crowl had pleaded not guilty.

Beeks is only the second Jan. 6 defendant to be acquitted of all charges after a trial. Beeks represented himself at trial, though he was assisted by a lawyer who served as stand-by counsel and delivered his closing argument. Approximately 100 others have been found guilty of at least one count after a trial decided by a jury or judge, and more than 600 have pleaded guilty.

Beeks and Crowl — who was a member of an Ohio militia — opted for what's known as a a stipulated bench trial, in which the defense and prosecutors agree to a set of facts and comply with a judge's decision on the defendants' guilt. Such trials allow defendants to admit to certain facts while maintaining a right to appeal any conviction.

Prosecutors had previously charged Beeks with other lower-level offenses, including illegally entering the Capitol. The pair had been indicted on multiple charges, but the parties agreed last week that the bench trial would only decide two felony counts — conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder. In exchange, the government dropped the remaining counts.

Prosecutors say Beeks and Crowl were part of a group of Oath Keepers wearing paramilitary gear who stormed the Capitol alongside the mob of Trump supporters. Beeks joined the Oath Keepers in December 2020 and drove to Washington from Florida before meeting up with a group of extremists ahead of the riot, prosecutors said.

Beeks, who was also a Michael Jackson impersonator, wore a jacket from Jackson's "Bad" World Tour along with a helmet and was carrying a homemade shield during the riot, according to court papers.

Mehta said Beeks — unlike other Oath Keepers charged with riot-related crimes — didn't post any messages on social media or exchange text messages with other extremists that could establish what his "state of mind" was leading up to the Capitol riot. The judge also cited a lack of evidence about what Beeks did inside the Capitol that could support a conviction for interfering with police.

"His actions must rise and fall on their own," the judge said.

Beeks was arrested in November 2021 while he was traveling in Milwaukee with the "Jesus Christ Superstar" tour. He told reporters after the verdict that it "feels like a huge burden" has been lifted of his shoulders.

He acknowledged that he had joined the Oath Keepers through the group's website but said he never met or communicated with any of his alleged co-conspirators before Jan. 6. He said never knew of any plan to attack the Capitol and mistakenly believed the Oath Keepers "were the good guys."

"I met up with the wrong people," he said. "I lost my whole career. (Jan. 6) is like a scarlet letter."

Crowl was part of the Ohio State Regular Militia led by Jessica Watkins, who was acquitted of seditious conspiracy but convicted of other serious charges in the trial alongside Rhodes. In December 2022, Crowl sent a message in a group chat that included Watkins that said "law abiding citizens are fix'n to 'act out of character'... Time for talk'in is over."

Crowl's attorney, Carmen Hernandez, said her client was exercising his First Amendment free speech rights on Jan. 6 without any intent to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory.

"His conduct was no different than that of many Americans who've gone to Congress to peacefully protest and have not been charged with felonies," Hernandez wrote in an email.

18 years? Hell no, we want 25. Fuck that guy. Let him rot another 7 years. This is an excellent use of our tax dollars.

Quote from storch

false flag admittedly started by these publicity seeking short sighted naive people.

So you admit that the Panty Raid was started by the dumbest of trumptarded dipshits. Your people. I'm surprised you're able to admit that obvious truth. So how are you spinning it as a false flag?

Trumptards fantasize about 9066, helicopters, pedos, and dick taters. Meanwhile Biden's Handlers lock up trumptarded traitors. One side seems more competent than the other. It's literally not fair.

Quote from Username

You are worst that a woman. I would suggest you look back upon all of the bullshit that you have posted.

How would you suggest I do that?

Quote from Username

You want to talk about criminals, look at all the stuff being swept under the rug.

It's not fair, huh? Why didn't Tinyhands' attorney general lock up Hillary or whichever mean old librul you're on about?

Quote from Username

If you would open your eye, you would see that the government in its whole entirety is corrupt to its core. But goat boy, I don’t think you are smart enough to do so. You are too blinded by your hatred of trump. Perhaps you should try some counseling.

I bet if you ask, gg would send you the records of your bs from FW.

Everything humans do is corrupt. Every. Single. Thing. That doesn't mean we should tear it all down and replace it with a retarded orange dick-tater-4-life. It's much easier to be a saboteur moron and tear shit down than it is to make government work. But representative democracy is literally the ONLY power that ordinary people have to advocate for their own interests. So those of us who aren't tards focus on making this imperfect system work. While useful idiots do everything they can to tear it down and give away all of the power and all of the money to a few billionaires who are accountable to no one. You people are utter dipshits. The very definition of useful idiots.

Quote from Username

Not everything that people do is corrupt. This government hasn’t worked since the day they figured out how to pay themselves more $$. When you have people going into congress and coming back out millionaires, that’s a problem.

This isn’t about tearing it down. It is about the fact the government hasn’t represented the people in a very long long time. But hey mean orange man gave hand outs to billionaires.

FYI, billionaires / millionaires didn’t get to where they are by being dipshits like you goat.

You morons literally tried to install a dick-tater. You hillbillies think you have the right to impose your inbred bible-thumping bullshit on the majority of normal people. But it's not corruption when you do it, right? Dumbass.

If you think that getting elected to congress is the only or the most common way that people corruptly become billionaires, well then you're a useful idiot.

Nobody here is talking about millionaires. A millionaire is just a dude with a house in a halfway decent area. I'll be one of those soon enough.

Quote from Username

Let me know when you have figured out that I am not talking about a single side of the .gov, but all parties.

So humans are corrupt? Yeah I know. How you start with that and conclude that we need a retarded orange dick-tater is a mystery.

You morons will be stopped. Normal people know that we have no choice.