Jon Schaffer Capitol Riots Case

Jon Schaffer pleads guilty to two charges for his role in Capitol Riot

The Attorneys for Freedom Law Firm represents Jon Schaffer, a guitarist for the band Iced Earth who Pleaded guilty for his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. U.S. attorneys said Schaffer was radicalized and brought “a dangerous weapon inside restricted grounds.”

Showing a video interview of Schaffer from a November rally for former President Donald Trump, federal attorneys argued Schaffer contemplated violence before he engaged in the insurrection.

“They’re making their big move and it’s not going to work,” Schaffer said in the video. “If someone wants to bring violence, we’re ready for that.”
Later in the video, Schaffer claimed “there will be a lot of bloodshed.”

One of Schaffer’s attorneys, Marc Victor, dismissed the allegations and pointed to another place in the video where Schaffer said he wasn’t looking for violence but would respond if provoked. Victor claimed his client was photographed attempting to protect an elderly man, instead of inciting violence. He admits his client “used bad judgment that day” by bringing pepper spray — more specifically “bear spray”— into the Capitol, but reiterated he was only intending to use it for protection.

Victor argued the Indiana man was not responsible for the insurrection and was encouraged by former President Trump.

“People have the right to believe the highest elected official,” Victor said during the hearing held via teleconference. “My client is not responsible for what happened on Jan. 6,” Victor said during the March hearing.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

In a joint status update filed on November 12 in federal court in Washington, D.C., one of Schaffer’s other attorneys Andrew C. Marcantel of Attorneys for Freedom Law Firm stated that “The Defendant remains on release under the supervision of the District of Columbia Pre-Trial Services Department. He has remained cooperative with pre-trial release conditions and law enforcement since his release.

“He is the first individual to step forward in this historic investigation and take responsibility for his role in the Capitol riot,” said his attorney Andrew Marcantel in court.