Philip Sean Grillo, a former district leader for the Queens County Republican Party, was convicted last December for his involvement in the events of January 6 at the Capitol. His charges included obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Advertisement
CNN’s Katelyn Polantz described the courtroom incident:
This was an extraordinary scene in the D.C. District Court where hundreds of these rioter cases have been handled. He was being sentenced for nonviolent [crimes], but felonies today in federal court. And the judge, Judge Royce Lamberth –the judge who sat on that bench the longest and is nearing the end of an extraordinary judicial career – puts him in prison immediately. That rarely happens in a situation like this. And then as the judge exits the courtroom, the defendant, Phil Grillo, is standing there with the U.S. Marshal taking off his tie, taking off his belt, being put in handcuffs, and he yells out, ‘Trump’s gonna pardon me anyways!’
Senior Judge Royce Lamberth made some remarks before handing down the sentence:
I will do my job as I’m bound by oath to do, and the president will do his. It’s as simple as that.
He went on to say that the administration of justice is necessary “no matter the political winds of the day.”
Grillo’s defense attorney requested that Judge Lamberth allow Grillo one day to surrender himself voluntarily, but Lamberth denied the request. Lamberth provided scant justification for ordering immediate remand, simply stating it was due to “where we are in the process.”
Read More:
OPINION: Why All the January 6 Defendants Deserve a Pardon
OPINION: January 6 Was Hooliganism, Not Orchestration
Advertisement
While it is highly unusual for a judge to remand into immediate custody for a nonviolent offender like Grillo, Lamberth has been portrayed as a heavy-handed judge in the January 6 cases. Prominent January 6 journalist Julie Kelly has described Lamberth as “one of the cruelest judges,” as well as a monster, evil and heartless. Her criticism of him is based on his harsh treatment of defendants, his political statements about January 6 and Donald Trump during court proceedings, and a lack of judicial temperament.
Judge Lamberth, 79, is a Reagan appointee. He has been one of the cruelest judges, sentencing Jacob Chansley to 41 months in prison and allowing DC prison and DOJ to slow walk cancer treatment for Chris Worrell. Last week he again refused to relax home detention order for… https://t.co/a4tBpDv8He
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) July 11, 2022
These prosecutors and Judge Lamberth are monsters. Evil, heartless, and cruel. Once again, this fossil Reagan-appointed judge sentences a trespasser to jail time and a lengthy probation to cover the next presidential election.
Political prisoners. Any comment , @MittRomney? https://t.co/HwRyqf4FlK
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 15, 2022
According to court records, on January 6, 2021, Grillo was drinking, spent considerable time within the Capitol, and was captured on video yelling for the crowd to “charge” through a megaphone. Grillo said that he didn’t recognize himself in the actions seen on video from four years prior. In a moment of contrition during the hearing, Grillo expressed to the judge, “I’m mortified. I wish I never went.” Lamberth handed down a sentence of one year in prison followed by a year of supervised release.
Advertisement
Polantz reported that Grillo had two friends in attendance at his sentencing, who identified themselves as Republican Party officials from the Bronx and Queens. They reportedly shouted words of reassurance to Grillo, saying:
“Don’t worry, Phil. Donald’s gonna take care of you.”
The friends indicated that they were in contact with members of President-elect Trump’s transition team but did not identify with whom they had spoken.
