Jan. 6 Protesters Who Were Not Violent Can Be Convicted of Disorderly Conduct: Court

People who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, can be convicted of disorderly conduct even if they were “neither violent nor destructive,” a federal appeals court ruled on Friday, Jan. 5. Russell Alford of Alabama was convicted in 2022 by a jury of four counts, including two of disorderly conduct. But Mr. Alford entered the Capitol through an open door, was only inside the building for about 13 minutes, was silent, and did not engage in any violence or destruction, his lawyers and government officials agreed. That means the disorderly conduct convictions should be tossed, Mr. Alford’s public defenders said. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit disagreed, favoring the government, which said the available evidence supported the convictions....