Unequal Justice – January 6th Praying Grandma’s Harsh Sentence

This past month, Rebecca Lavrenz, a woman who attended the January 6^th Trump rally in Washington DC, was sentenced for her actions on that day.  She is facing what might appear to be the harshest and largest misdemeanor penalty in U.S. history.

The US Constitution granted more powers to the federal government than allowed by the Articles of Confederation.  Having just thrown off the tyrannical yoke of the British monarch, the colonists were rightfully concerned that the criminal and civil punishment authority of the new central government should be limited, appropriate, and fair.  The Eighth Amendment prohibited the imposition of excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.  The implication was that penalties imposed in sentencing and prison conditions would be proportional in severity to the crimes committed.   

The definition of “cruel and unusual punishments” has been a focal point of legal contention.  In 1958, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren established the concept of evolving standards of decency that reflects the current philosophy of American society.  In defining an evolving standard of decency, courts evaluate whether the punishment imposes unnecessary or gratuitous pain and whether its severity is commensurate with that of the crime.

Rebecca Lavrenz, the “Praying Grandma”, attended the January 6^th Trump rally in Washington DC.  After the rally, she entered the Capitol building without any opposition from law enforcement, prayed for America in the Rotunda, and left the building.  She spent only ten minutes inside the Capitol, but that was enough to begin her involvement with the legal agencies of an uncontrolled federal government.  After her trial in federal court, Rebecca Lavrenz was convicted of four misdemeanors related to the January 6^th events at the US Capitol building.  

Her sentence is as follows:

• 12 months probation
• 6 months house arrest with an ankle bracelet
• 6 months ban from using the internet for any purpose
• Government spyware installed on her computer and mobile phone
• Restitution of $500 and $103,000 in fines

A quick internet search produced numerous accounts of serious crimes against persons, including rape, sexual assault, and murder, in which the guilty parties received far lighter sentences the Rebecca Lavrenz. 

A few cases are listed here: 

In 2015, for instance, a Stanford University athlete was found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman.  He was sentenced to six months in prison.

In New York in 2021, a man received no jail time after pleading guilty to rape and sexual assault of four teenage girls.

In San Francisco, a man convicted of stabbing a 94-year-old woman multiple times was sentenced by a judge only to probation.  

Rebecca Lavrenz is an American patriot and a woman of profound faith.  The significance of her actions on January 6^th will not be diminished by her sentence.  She stands far above the offensive verdicts of the spiteful dictators who imposed them on her. 

Listen to Dr. Dan’s interview with Rebecca here.