Jury to Decide Fate of Former Proud Boys National Chairman and Co-Defendants in Seditious Conspiracy Trial

Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the seditious conspiracy trial of former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and four co-defendants. Prosecutors allege that the defendants plotted to keep President Donald Trump in the White House after the Republican lost the 2020 election.

The trial, which began in March, has seen dozens of witnesses and hundreds of messages exchanged by Proud Boys in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutors have argued that the messages show the far-right extremist group peddling Trump’s false claims of a stolen election and encouraging violence.

Attorneys for the Proud Boys placed blame for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on Donald Trump during closing arguments on Tuesday. Joe Biggs’ lawyer Norm Pattis told jurors that the defendants went to D.C. because their “commander-in-chief” told them it would “be wild,” referencing Trump’s infamous tweet on Dec. 19, 2020, that called on supporters to go to D.C. on Jan. 6.

The jury will now decide whether the defendants are guilty of seditious conspiracy. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 20 years in prison. The jury is expected to reach a verdict in the coming days.

The case is one of the most serious to emerge from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The trial has shed light on the far-right extremist group and the role of Donald Trump in the attack. The jury’s decision will be closely watched by both sides of the political aisle.