Life After J6 Trials—Guy Reffitt

Following hundreds of arrests in connection with the events of January 6th, 2021, numerous individuals found themselves imprisoned in various correctional facilities. One such person was Guy Reffitt, whose letters appear in the book titled “American Gulag Chronicles.”  (order here) The conditions at the DC-CTF prison were deplorable, to say the least, and made worse by the challenges posed by the COVID-19. COVID-19 was weaponized as a form of torture, with defendants held in solitary confinement for extended periods during pre-trial detention. As time went on, we began to learn that many of the detainees involved in the January 6th incident were considering going to trial. Guy Reffitt was slated to be the first to face an unsympathetic jury. It has become evident that obtaining a fair trial in Washington, DC is impossible, given that the jury pool consists primarily of supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement and President Biden. All jury trials in DC so far have resulted in convictions, as did the majority of bench trials, with one exception.

Guy Reffitt, a 49 year old Texan and Christian, is the father of three children named Peyton, Sarah, and Jackson. His wife Nicole is currently staying in DC. She attends court hearings, trials, congressional hearings, and joins the Vigil at the DC Gulag alongside Micki Witthoef and other supporters.

Despite attempts to request a change of venue, Guy was ultimately tried in Washington, DC, as mentioned earlier. One could argue that the DC population is itself a victim of the events of January 6th and thus should not be eligible to serve as jurors in any trial involving individuals from that incident. However, the judges in DC have consistently denied requests for a fair trial outside the district. Moreover, it would be both logical and ethical for these judges to recuse themselves, considering their demonstrated hostility towards the defendants involved in the January 6th incident, nut none of them have so far. There are multiple examples of bias demonstrated by these judges, but it doesn’t seem to bother them in any way. They insist in presiding over a trial where they tend to favor the prosecution.

During the trial, the prosecution presented several videos that were unrelated to Guy, a tactic that appears to be standard practice as it draws the jury emotionally into the story of J6. The defense requested that the jury be shown the entire 80-minute video footage to provide a comprehensive understanding of the events, but only selective portions were shown, painting Guy in a negative light. Multiple testimonies were heard, and after a brief deliberation lasting only two and a half hours, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all charges—a clear miscarriage of justice presided over by Judge Friedrich.

After the trial, Nicole, urging other individuals connected to the January 6th incident not to plead guilty, emphasized that Guy was being used as an example to coerce plea deals. She declared, “J6ers, do not take a plea. Do not.” Nicole also expressed her husband’s intention to appeal the verdict.

After several additional weeks spent in the DC Gulag, Guy was sentenced to seven years. Fortunately, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich declined the Justice Department’s request to add the terrorism enhancement which would have considerably increased his sentence. Judge Friedrich however expressed her total disregard for those who went to the Capitol to ask for the redress of their grievances concerning an election they believed was stolen and said: “What he and others who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 did is the antithesis of patriotism” Judge Friedrich failed to consider the facts and ignored the obvious attack by the Capitol police using flash bangs, rubber bullets, against the then peaceful protestors. It has been demonstrated since that the police violence is what cause the reaction of the crowd when they experienced an unwarranted and violent assault by the police, often directed at elderly, women and children. It is more and more believe that had the police remained calmed, the events of January 6th would have been entirely different.

Later, Guy was transferred to a jail in south Texas and then to the Fannin County Jail, where he has remained ever since.

Months had already passed since the verdict and the sentencing and finally, when on December 14, 2022 Nicole and Peyton were able to see Guy for the first time. This family has been tried greatly during this time of separation from the one they love. They also lost their breadwinner and Nicole herself lost her job. She is receiving some support in order to continue her advocacy in DC but any donations are welcomed as staying in DC is quite pricey. Guy’s commissary account can also be replenished here.