David Charles Johntson, 66, of South Carolina, was sentenced to 21 days in jail for his hand in the January 6th insurrection on our nations capital. The government had requested 42 days in jail from the court, which was denied. On the other side, Johnston’s attorney requested that he only be on probation for 12 month, this was denied and he was sentenced to three times the amount. The sentence comes after the suspended attorney pled guilty to the misdemeanor on Friday, December 16th, 2022. In addition, he received 36 months of probation and 3 months of home detention, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. The charge and sentence were handed down from Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell, who added restitution charges in the amount of $500 as well as a $2,500 court fine.
The charge specifically included details that showed Johnston went to the capital on January 6th and “began parading, demonstrating, or picketing at the Capital Building.” Johnston and a friend came all the way from Charleston, South Carolina, called to action by Donald Trump. Wanting to show their support, Johnston and his friend felt it was both their obligation and duty to make the drive and participate in the demonstration. It is currently unknown if Johnston was aware of what would take place before it happened. Regardless, he made the trip to show support and to protest. In his defense, Johnston argued that he was different than the other rioters because he “did not travel to the District of Columbia with the purpose to engage in any violent, riotous, or assaultive behavior.” Johnston’s attorney argues that his sentence should lenient, and should reflect the fact that Johnston did not vandalize any part of the Capital, and did not display any violent actions- he was simply present. Things escalated when Johnston decided to actually enter the Capital building. Once inside, he wandered and “took several pictures” for upwards of thirty minutes. Johnston’s law license suspension is still under review.
