Rebecca Lavrenz, known as the “J6 praying grandma,” was fined an amount that could “financially destroy her,” her attorney told the Daily Caller.
Lavrenz was sentenced for entering the Capitol building on January 6. Prosecutors stated that the 72-year-old spent about 10 minutes inside the U.S. Capitol Building, The Associated Press (AP) reported. She was reportedly fined $103,000 and sentenced to one year’s probation Monday — the first six months in home confinement with no internet access.
“We believe it’s the largest misdemeanor fine in American history,” John Pierce of the National Constitutional Law Union and Lavrenz’s attorney told the Caller. “It’s going to financially destroy her if she has to pay it.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) initially sought “10 months’ incarceration, 12 months of supervised release, 60 hours of community service, and $500 in restitution,” according to court documents.
Prosecutors claimed Lavrenz’s “unrepentant promotion of the riot” demonstrated she “pos[es] a threat to future acts of political violence.” (RELATED: Thomas Massie Grills J6 Committee Chair Over Pipe Bomb Investigation, Secret Service Scrubbing Phones)
“She’s a great grandmother in her mid-seventies,” Pierce told the Caller, adding that Lavrenz went to the U.S. Capitol to pray.
“Never in my life did I imagine that my own government would charge me as a criminal for exercising my religious liberties.” ‘J6 Praying Grandma’ Facing 3 Years in Jail. pic.twitter.com/addy6hmB17
— Grace Chong 🇺🇸 (@gc22gc) April 5, 2024
She has a GiveSendGo set up where supporters can donate to help pay her legal fees.
Prosecutors accused Lavrenz of “profiting off the celebrity of her conviction,” according to the court documents
Pierce told the Caller that Lavrenz did not attempt to create her celebrity status. “I think it’s a function of the fact that the Department of Justice is going after great-grandmothers,” he claimed, explaining how her story caught the eye of major figures like former President Donald Trump.
Rebecca Lavrez, also known as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” has been unfairly targeted by Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, and now faces up to 1 YEAR in prison for peacefully walking around the Capitol, and praying for our Failing Nation on January 6th! Rebecca is a 72-year-old Grandmother…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 5, 2024
“It got a lot of attention,” he continued. “Not because she was trying to be a celebrity, but because they went after a praying, you know, great-grandmother.”
Pierce told the Caller he had only heard of an internet ban in situations where it’s “incredibly compelling from like, a safety standpoint” such as in child pornography cases.
Pierce’s law firm, John Pierce Law, has represented over 20 Jan. 6 defendants, according to the biography on his website. “We represent lots of people who are misdemeanor defendants who didn’t engage in any kind of violence or property destruction,” he told the Caller.
He told the Caller that his firm has been successful overall in getting those defendants no jail time or a “slap on the wrist.”
“None of them have been fined anywhere near this amount,” Pierce said. “I think before this, the highest fine that we’ve seen in our cases was $20,000, and that was a case that involved felony assault claims and convictions.”
Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told Lavrenz that while her case is not as serious as others, “it’s still a grave offense,” the AP reported. (RELATED: Federal Judge Releases Man From Jan. 6-Related Prison Sentence)
Pierce told the Caller there was “certainly no indication of any kind of threats” from Lavrenz.
“I think these judges are attempting to apply the law fair,” Pierce said. “There’s a certain built in bias with respect to anybody in D.C., including these judges.”
He noted that it can be difficult for these judges to “understand the mindset” of those who traveled from the middle of the country to protest.
