Agitators gonna agitate

[Florida music instructor Audrey Southard-Rumsey, 54,] was accused of being an agitator who was in front of the [January 6] mob as it swelled near the House Speaker's Lobby, as members of Congress were hiding inside. She was also accused of screaming vulgar and misogynistic threats about Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and was charged with pushing police, and at one point, using a flagpole to push one officer.

  CBS

Everybody's ideal music teacher.

During a dramatic 15-minute statement at her sentencing hearing, Southard-Rumsey pushed aside papers that included a set of prepared remarks. She instead blistered prosecutors, calling them "liars," then accused a Capitol Police officer whom she'd allegedly confronted on Jan. 6 of being "terrified."

[...]

She accused Antifa of filming her amid the Capitol riot and said, "My whole dream of my life has been taken, because people have different politics than mine."

Southard-Rumsey also said, "I have grievances, since they don't listen to us at the polling place. They don't listen to us little people in the regular world." She said, "I'm ashamed of this country."

I expect she was one who railed at Michelle Obama for suggesting a similar sentiment back in the day.

The uniquely strident and unapologetic remarks presented a sharp contrast with dozens of the hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants who have spoken and sought leniency at sentencing.

After Southard-Rumsey's defense attorney approached the podium to urge her to wrap up her remarks, she concluded by saying, "It's not fair."

[...]

The defense asserted she would not protest again in the future.

During her statement to the judge, Southard-Rumsey said, "I won't protest because I'll be in prison. Why protest? You guys don't listen."

[...]

The government's criminal complaint included a number of photos of her in the Capitol and also alleged she was captured on video yelling, "Tell Pelosi we are coming for that b****."

Southard-Rumsey was captured on a Twitter feed announcing, "Standing in front of the Capitol Building ready to take it," the complaint also said.

[...]

[Judge] Mehta said Southard-Rumsey's presence on the frontlines of the attack as members of Congress hid on the ground inside the House Chamber helped warrant a rarely invoked terrorism enhancement in her case. Mehta said, "You terrorized members of Congress, including those who believe the things you do."

The judge criticized her and other Jan. 6 defendants for "cloaking themselves in patriotism."

He cited some of the vulgar language attributed to Southard-Rumsey from Jan. 6, including the profane and threatening language she had directed at former House Speaker Pelosi.

[...]

According to a Justice Department report, approximately 560 of the more than 1,000 defendants of the U.S. Capitol siege have been sentenced. Approximately 335 have received prison terms.

[...]

Southard-Rumsey will be permitted to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons in the coming months to serve [a] six-year prison sentence.

[...]

Departing court, Southard-Rumsey declined requests for comment. Turning to reporters, she said, "You all are f******* liars. You should be ashamed of yourself. You're why we're in this mess."

Scott MacFarlane live tweeted the sentencing hearing.   Southard-Rumsey's attorney claimed she "had a very big mouth,"  buy wasn't attempting a coup. With friends like these...

MacFarlane tweets tidbits of the defendant's tirade, including...

Southard meanders through a series of points about hating strong smells, loving the paintings inside the Capitol… and being a particularly “fast walker” 

Judge Amit Mehta at one point ordered her to "stop turning toward — and pointing at — others in courtroom."  And a US Marshal moved up to stand right behind her while she spoke, apparently sensing a possibility of needing to restrain her.  Her attorney also attempted to "calm or redirect" (McFarlane's words) his client, and finally told her to wrap it up.  He also must have sensed a need. Perhaps to keep her from getting herself more time.

Prosecutors asked that she be jailed immediately, but the judge allowed her to self-surrender under "release conditions" which aren't enumerated.

Related:  The government is asking for reconsideration of sentences in the Oath Keepers cases - to have them increased.  

"It's very unusual for DOJ to appeal, but these are unusual cases and unusual times," said the Justice Department official, who requested anonymity to speak about the cases. "The key here is that the judge departed from DOJ's sentencing recommendations on [eight] defendants. There probably wouldn't be an appeal if it was just one."

[...]

US District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Rhodes to 18 years behind bars for his role in the insurrection — the most severe sentence to date for any of the more than 1,000 people who have been charged with crimes connected to the attack on the Capitol.

In Rhodes' case, prosecutors wanted a sentence of 25 years in prison.

The other defendants were also given shorter prison sentences than what the DOJ had requested.

  Business Insider