Joseph Howe

Joshua was in the company of family when they approached the west terrace of the Capitol.  They encountered heavy push back from the police, lined shoulder to shoulder, well-armed and carrying riot batons and shields.  Somehow, Joshua was able to wrestle one of the shields away from an officer but then, was peppered sprayed and had to retreat to recover.  He did not enter the capitol, he did not assault an officer but taking his shield is considered theft of government property,” and the DOJ deems it a felony if done by a Trump supporter.

Later that day, Josh was not shy about sharing his photos and thoughts online.  Going on social media with pictures and comments about the protests of January 6^th was perhaps the was best way for authorities to seek out the protestors.   It was easy to track him down and Josh was arrested without incident at his home on June 30^th, 2021. 

Once arraigned, charges brought against Joshua were very light compared to most of his fellow J6ers.  Released on his own recognizance, with an ankle monitor, he was required to surrender his firearms and passport as terms of his release on $50,000 bond.  But once pretrial motions started, that’s when things got interesting.  Josh asked the court to not allow the prosecutors to use a litany of words to describe him and his fellow protestors, words like; rioters, breach, confrontation, anti-government extremist, insurrections and mob.  Josh and his advisors felt these words alone evoked a picture of a raging extremist hell bent on violence.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  He was a family man who held down multiple jobs to keep his family safe and well provided for.  He was not an extremist but may have got caught up in the by overly aggressive police tactics, like many of his fellow protestors.

Josh was found guilty on March 15, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols following a bench trial – where the judge decides your fate – on charges of civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct and theft of government property, the shield.  He’s devasted but knows he will eventually be vindicated and now has a team of lawyers working on his appeal. He was ordered to serve 18 months in prison, 36 months of probation, and pay a $175 special assessment on September 15^th, 2023.