Jury deliberations to begin Tuesday in Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial

WASHINGTON — A D.C. jury will begin deliberating at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning in the trial of five Oath Keepers accused of plotting against the government to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results during the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four other members of the right-wing militia group face the most serious charges brought so far in relation to the attack on the Capitol, chief among them a seditious conspiracy charge.

The stakes are high for the Justice Department, which hasn't tried a seditious conspiracy case in a decade nor won a guilty verdict since 1995, when Islamic militants who plotted to bomb New York City landmarks were prosecuted. 

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A guilty verdict could serve as a warning to government dissenters that violent acts against the U.S. will be punished. But an acquittal could undermine the Justice Department's narrative that the events of Jan. 6 endangered democracy — and embolden the militia movement. 

© Dana Verkouteren, AP This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and four others charged with seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

The Oath Keepers on trial also face charges of obstructing — and conspiring to obstruct— an official proceeding, conspiring to prevent an officer from discharging duties, destruction of government property, civil disorder and tampering with documents or proceedings.

 During the seven-week trial, prosecutors have painted the defendants as embattled extremists willing to stop at nothing to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to President Joe Biden. But defense attorneys for the Oath Keepers on trial have claimed that the government's depiction of the defendants is inaccurate. 

The jury will deliberate Tuesday before breaking for Thanksgiving. Deliberations will resume next week. 

Read more

• Closing remarks: Oath Keepers' words used against them in government's closing remarks
• Stewart Rhodes testimony: Stewart Rhodes denies planning Oath Keepers' Jan. 6 Capitol riot involvement
• The other defendants: What we know about the militia members who aren't Stewart Rhodes
• Capitol riot arrests: See who's been charged across the U.S.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jury deliberations to begin Tuesday in Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial