Idaho woman gets 2 months jail for U.S. Capitol riot actions
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho woman was sentenced Tuesday to two months in jail for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 siege of the U.S. Capitol building.
Pam Hemphill of Boise will also be on probation for three years and must pay a $500 fine, U.S. District Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said.
Hemphill pleaded guilty earlier this year to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol Building. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional misdemeanor charges.
During Hemphill's sentencing hearing, Lamberth said it's "tempting to be lenient,” but he can't justify letting her just walk away after her offenses at the Capitol.
“Because it's such a serious event in the history of our country, that I have to agree with the government's recommendation in this case,” the judge said. “I believe there has to be a penalty when there is a serious offense like this.”
Like many other defendants who have been charged in connection with the siege, Hemphill posted videos to social media sites that showed her in Washington, D.C., in the days surrounding the insurrection and at the Capitol when it was happening.
Hemphill told the judge that she regrets everything she said and did on Jan. 6. She said she intended to record the protest but got caught up in the moment.
