Those who attacked their own nation’s Capitol failed to consider the consequences of doing so. This is part 5.
On January 6, 2021, a mob of Donald Trump supporters staged an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building. The Guardian reported that people stormed the chambers of the House and Senate while the Electoral College votes were being tallied.
January 1, 2021: PhillyMag reported: “This South Jersey Woman Helped Lead the Charge Up the Capitol Steps” It was written by Victor Fiorillo.
Given the sheer number of people who turned up for the Capitol riot on January 6th and Washington D.C.’s proximity to Philadelphia, it was only a matter of time before folks from our area were identified in the scads of photos and videos of the day.
First, there was retired Delco firefighter Robert Sanford. Then came former Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Student Andrew Wrigley. And now, we’ve learned that South Jersey activist Stephanie Hazelton (a.k.a. Ayla Wolf) was at the Capitol on that fateful day as well.
If her face seems familiar to you, it’s probably because we first told you about Hazelton back in May, when she was charged with violating one of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s COVID shutdown orders by organizing and gathering outside Atilis Gym on Bellmawr. That’s the South Jersey gym that refused to close its doors to members amid the pandemic — and that has since refused to close its doors to members amid the pandemic — and that has since raised more than $450,000 (!!!) on GoFundMe for its legal defense.
According to videos and social media posts, Hazelton was in Washington, D.C., for the Capitol attack. In one since-deleted Facebook video, Hazelton showed herself in Washington that day. In another post, Hazelton wrote about details of the chartered bus trip from South Jersey to the capital. And two people on Facebook posed about her after the Capitol siege, writing that she had sustained injuries during the insurrection. These posts have since been deleted as well.
Hazelton also pops up in a lengthy video from the Capitol the appears to have been recorded by a far right outlet Just Another Channel and originally published on its Parler page, which has since been removed. The video still appears on YouTube, and Hazelton can be seen helping to lead the charge up the steps of the Capitol, the archway entrance just feet behind her.
In this one segment of the nearly 90-minute video, some Capitol attackers are walking away from the building, apparently suffering from the effects of tear gas, while others thrust forward toward the archway.
“We need more people!” shouts an unknown man. That’ when Hazelton chimes in “Men,” she says, her pink iPhone in her left hand. “We need more men!” She uses her right hand to wave people — well, people with penises — up the steps to join the charge. “Let’s go!” she orders them.
“We need more men,” says Hazelton, who didn’t respond to multiple comments for this story and deleted her Facebook account after we contacted her there. “Keep going. Keep pushing. Men! We need men. Not women.”
A feminist she is not.
In another segment, Hazelton appears to say that she has been inside the Capitol and intends to return to its hallowed halls.
“I gotta go back in,” she tells a man who was offering her water for her irritated eyes.
It’s unclear if Hazelton was ever actually inside the building. What’s also unclear is whether any law enforcement agencies is in pursuit of or even interested in her. (The FBI didn’t respond to a request for information.
The FBI is reportedly investigating some 140,000 images from the day.
October 14, 2022: United States Attorney’s Office District of Columbia posted a press release titled: “New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty To Felony Charges For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach”
Defendant Encouraged Mob in Confrontations With Officers
A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty today to a felony charge for her actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Stephanie Hazelton, 50, of Medford, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder and aiding and abetting.
According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Hazelton illegally entered the Capitol grounds and joined in multiple confrontations with law enforcement officers. At approximately 2:45 p.m., she approached the west front of the Capitol building and joined a mob there. As she approached, she made various statements encouraging the crowd, including, “Let’s go! Move forward! They cannot stop is all,” and, “This is the battle. This is it. This is the battle.”
Hazelton then approached the Lower West Terrace, which was packed with rioters pushing forward against law enforcement officers who were attempting to prevent the mob from moving through a tunnel and into the Capitol building. From outside the tunnel, she turned towards rioters, and waved them up, encouraging more to move into the area. She moved to the front of the mob, which was pushing against the officers. As others in the crowd assaulted officers, Hazelton remained in the area, yelling, among other things, “We need more men! We need more men! Keep going!”
Hazelton was arrested on Jan. 22, 2021. She is to be sentenced on Feb. 1. 2023. She faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Newark Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 21 months, since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 880 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 270 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
October 14, 2022: Law & Crime posted “New Jersey Woman Who Shouted ‘We Need Men, Not Women!” as Trump Supporters Attacked Cops on Jan. 6 Pleads Guilty to a Felony” It was written by Matt Naham.
A 50-year-old anti-vaxxer and mom from South Jersey pleaded guilty to a felony Friday for her role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Stephanie Hazelton, a Medford resident also known as Ayla Wolf, was arrested on Jan. 22, 2021 and indicted on Nov. 10, 2021 for several charges, but she ultimately pleaded guilty to one felony for interfering with cops during a civil disorder and adding and abetting.
According to the factual stipulation in Hazelton’s plea agreement, the government’s statement of offense in her case is fair and accurate.
That statement of offense says Hazelton urged the pro-Donald Trump mob to “move forward” even as police officers attempted to repel it.
“They’re tear gassing everybody” and “They’re pepper spraying us,” she admitted shouted. “Let’s go! Move forward! They cannot stop us all!”
“We’re storming the Capitol right now!” she added, referring to the moment as “the battle.”
“Hazelton then approached the Lower West Terrace, which was packed with rioters pushing forward against law enforcement officers who were attempting to prevent the mob from moving through a tunnel and into the Capitol building,” the DOJ said in a press release about Hazleton’s actions that afternoon. “From outside the tunnel, she turned towards rioters, and waved them up, encouraging more to move into the area. She moved to the front of the mob, which was pushing against the officers.”
As that assault near the tunnel unfolded, Hazelton showed that more men were needed.
“We need more men! We need more men! Keep going! Keep pushing, men! We need men, not women!” she yelled “We need more helmets! More helmets!”
The day after Jan. 6, Hazelton texted that the “first shot has been fired of the revolution.”
Hazleton’s sentencing is set for Feb. 1, 2023.
The plea agreement shows that there is still some disagreement between prosecutors and the defense on one point: whether a three-point enhancement should apply.
“Your client understands that the Government maintains that, pursuant to U.S.S.G 2A2.4(b)(1)(A), a three-point enhancement applies because the offense involved physical contact,” the agreement said. “Your client agrees to the facts as stated in the Statement of Offense, but reserves the right to challenge the application of U.S.S.G. 2A1(b)(1)(A) solely on the grounds that her offense did not involve physical contact.”
The government laid out what the difference in estimated sentencing guidelines will be of the offense level ends up being an 8 or an 11 [emphasis theirs]
Based on the Estimated Offense Level and the Estimated Criminal History Category set forth above, your client’s offense level is 11, your client’s estimated Sentencing Guidelines range is 8 months to 14 months (the “Estimate Guidelines Range”). If your client’s offense is level 8, your client’s estimated Sentencing Guidelines range is 0 months to 6 months (the “Estimated Guidelines Range”).
In addition, the parties agree that, pursuant to U.S.S.G 5E1.2, should the Court impose a fine, at Guidelines level 11, the estimated applicable fine range is $4,000 to $40,000 and at the Guidelines level 8, the estimated applicable fine range is $2,000 to $20,000. Your client reserves the right to task the Court to impose any applicable fine.
May 31, 2023: Courier Post posted: “Medford woman known as Ayla Wolf to soon hear fate for ‘commander’ role in Capitol riot” It was written by Jim Walsh.
A Medford woman who took part in the Capitol riot left the disturbance with a finger broken by a police officer’s baton, court filings say.
Now, 51-year-old Stephanie Hazelton could face another painful consequence of her actions at the January 2021 insurrection.
A federal prosector wants a judge to sentence Hazelton to 11 months in prison, along with a $10,000 fine.
In a court filing, the prosecutor asserts Hazelton acted “like a commander on the battlefield,” shouting for “more men” and “more helmets” as she urged others to push past police officers guarding the Capitol.
But Hazelton’s attorney argues against prison in a rival sentencing memorandum.
That filing acknowledges Hazelton “shouted words of encouragement to rioters,” but adds she “deeply regrets her conduct and apologizes to the law enforcement offices who struggled in that chaotic scene.”
Stephanie Hazelton seeks lighter sentence for Capitol riot
Hazelton should be sentenced to no more than three months of home detention, two years on probation, and a “significant” fine, said defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith of New York City.
Smith’s filing says Hazelton survived a difficult childhood, including life in a religious commune with no plumbing, electricity, heat or phones.
She now dedicates “virtually all of her time” to two home-schooled sons, ages 11 and 12, with special needs that require the mother’s constant attention, the filing says.
The prosecution’s filing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore acknowledges the family’s challenges.
“But, sadly, crime carries consequences,” writes Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore.
He observes Hazelton’s “family circumstances also did not stop of prevent her involvement in the riot in the first place.”
Hazelton, also known as Alya Wolf, became more politically active during the pandemic and attended “medical freedom” rallies in New Jersey, according to letters of support that accompany her memorandum.
She recorded her approach to the Capitol with her cellphone, at one pointy saying, “This is the battle. This is it. This is the battle.”
The prosecution says Hazelton repeatedly went into a Capitol entranceway tunnel where rioters were assaulting police officers in a bid to overturn the election of President Joe Biden.
At one point, Amore’s filing says, Hazelton stood at the front of a mob that used strobe lights to hamper officers’ vision and struck at them with poles and batons.
It contends Hazelton should get the prison term because her presence in the entranceway “contributed to the massive number of rioters who pushed against and assaulted … officers for nearly two hours…”
But her attorney notes Hazelton never entered the Capitol itself, did not make physical contact with officers and did not destroy any property. He also says no direct link connects Hazelton’s words to a specific assault on any officer.
The defense filing says a police officer struck Hazelton with a baton while she was crouching with her hands over her head outside the entranceway.
It says an injury to Hazelton’s finger required reconstructive surgery.
Capitol rioters used strobe lights, batons and poles
The prosecution notes Hazleton wore tactical gloves while accompanying members of the New Jersey Sons of Liberty on the day of the riot. Others in the group wore tactical globes and vests, and carried riot shields.
One day later, the filing says, Hazelton wrote, “The first shot has been fired of the revolution.”
But Hazelton later tried to conceal her actions, saying, “I never came close to going in and I never saw any violence from the people,” according to the prosecution filing.
Hazelton, who was arrested 16 days after the riot, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to a charge of civil disorder and aiding and abetting.
The prosecution also wants Hazelton to pay $2,000 in restitution for damage caused by rioters and to spend 36 months on supervised release.
October 31, 2022: Courier Post posted: “Medford Woman allegedly described the Capitol riot as ‘first shot … of the revolution”. It was written by Jim Walsh.
A Medford woman allegedly urged rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol has admitted guilt to a charge arising from the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Stephane Hazelton said, “This is the battle” as she approached the Capitol during the violent incident in 2021, a court record alleges.
She texted the next day, “The first shot has been fired of the revolution,” according to an account agreed to by both sides of the case.
Hazelton, 50, pleaded guilty on Oct. 14 to a charge of civil disorder and aiding and abetting.
Hazelton, also known as Ayla Wolf, could face a possible prison term of eight to 14 months in prison under a sentencing guideline that would find her offense involved “physical contact.”
She is expected to challenge that guideline before the sentencing judge. If the challenge succeeds, a remaining guideline would recommend a lesser penalty of up to six months in prison, with the possibility of no time in custody, the plea agreement says.
Her attorney, Nicholas Smith of New York City, could not be reached for comment.
June 2, 2023: The Philadelphia Inquirer posted: “Prominent South Jersey anti-vax advocate sentenced to jail for directing rioters in Capitol attack” It was written by Jeremy Roebuck.
A prominent right-wing and anti-vaccine activist from South Jersey will serve 10 days behind bars for her role in some of the most brutal fighting during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Federal prosecutors likened Stephanie Hazelton, 51, of Medford — who also goes by Ayla Wolf — to “a commander on the battlefield” as she marshaled rioters toward the tunnel entrance to the Capitol’s west side.
“This is the battle,” she shouted in videos of the melee later posted online. “Let’s go! Move forward! They cannot stop us all!”
That clash for control over the entrance of the Lower West Terrace lasted over two hours, during which rioter repeatedly assaulted, threatened, pushed and beat police trying to keep them at bay.
“Hazelton went to Washington dressed for violence,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Amore said in court filings last week. “She came for revolution and participated in an assault on democracy the resulted in death, injury and destruction.”
Hazelton’s sentence makes her the latest New Jersey resident sentenced to incarceration for playing a role in the unprecedented riot, which interrupted the Congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s victory, caused more than $2.8 million in damage and left hundreds of officers injured.
But the punishment — handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates at a hearing in Washington — could have been far worse. Prosecutors urged the judge to send Hazelton to prison for 11 months, at the top end of the suggested federal sentencing guidelines for the lone count of civil disorder to which she pleaded guilty last year.
But Bates — crediting Hazelton’s remote and the fact that she did not enter the Capitol or assault officers herself — ordered her incarcerated for a fraction of that time.
Hazelton’s lawyer, Nicholas D. Smith, described a short sentence as a just outcome for his client, whom he described as a stay-at-home mother who as raise on a religious commune outside of Trenton with no plumbing or electricity.
“She deeply regrets her conduct and apologizes to the law enforcement officers who struggled in that chaotic scene,” the lawyer wrote.
Hazelton — the founder of New Jersey for Medical Freedom, the state chapter of an anti-vaccine network — rose to prominence organizing demonstrations against proposed legislation in the Garden State, including a bill that would have required school children to get the flu shot.
In 2020, she led members of the group who draped signs over New Jersey highway overpasses that read: “COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers are exempt from liability.” And as for the public face for “Reopen New Jersey,” she led rallies that spring that made national headlines.
She was among the protesters who gathered outside Atilis Gym, the Bellmawr facility that defied Gov. Phil Murphy’s shutdown orders and drew attention for her particularly violent rhetoric about fighting a “war for freedom.”
“This war is just as important as our founding fathers,” she said to a crowd at the time. “We are the militia. We are the founding fathers. We are America.”
Prosecutors said Thursday that Hazelton adopted a similarly militaristic tone in the run-up to the Jan 6 attack.
Weeks after the election, she fraudulently boasted on Facebook that she had new from a “friend on the inside” that then-President Donald Trump had won “but the Deep State froze the election and they’re desperately trying to stuff ballots.”
Days before she traveled to Washington to protest the congressional certification of the 2020 vote, she posted again.
“There are police [that] are not on our side, especially in DC,” she wrote “A lot of them wish they were marching with [Black Lives Matter] in that city and hate us. We have to watch our backs.”
Video that later surfaced on social media showed her marching toward the Capitol with members of the New Jersey Sons of Liberty, donning tactical gloves and a black scarf bearing the organization’s skull logo.
She filmed their approach as they reached police lines shouting “I don’t care about their tear gas!”
During the two-hour battle for control of the Capitol’s lower west entrance, prosecutors say Hazelton could be seen in videos entering and exiting the fray again and again as rioters clashed with officers, beating them with poles and sticks and grabbing their police shields.
When she realized the crowd still wasn’t breaching the police lines, she called for reinforcements.
“We need more men,” she shouted while waiving rioter toward the entrance, according to the video of the fracas. “Keep pushing! Men! We need men! Not women!”
In court Thursday, Hazelton claimed she was acting in self-defense after one of the officers hit her with a nightstick and crushed her finger — an injury that later required reconstructive surgery.
She pleaded with Bates to spare her a prison term, given her role as the primary caretaker for her homeschooled 11- and 12-year-old sons while their father is frequently away on business trips.
Prosecutors, however, scoffed at that suggestion.
“Crimes carry consequences,” they said. “That fact cannot be a carte blanche to escape the consequences of criminal conduct … Moreover, her family circumstances did not stop or prevent her involvement in the riot in the first place.”
In addition to her jail term, Hazelton was ordered to serve two years’ probation upon her release and pay $2,000 in restitution.
January 8, 2021: United States District Court For The District of Columbia – Holding a Criminal Term. – Grand Jury Sworn in on January 8, 2021
COUNT ONE: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:10 p.m. to about 4:13 p.m., within the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG committed and attempted to commit an act to obstruct, impede, and interfere with a law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his/her duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder, and the civil disorder obstructed, delayed, and adversely affected the conduct and performance of a federally protected function.
(Civil Disorder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 231(a)(3))
COUNT TWO: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:10 p.m. to about 4:13 p.m., within the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG did forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with, an officer of and employee of the Untied States, of any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the uniformed services), and any person assisting such an officer and employee, while such a person was engaged in and on account of the performance of official duties.
(Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1))
COUNT THREE: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:44 p.m. to about 4:46 p.m., within the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG committed and attempted to commit an act to obstruct, impede, and interfere with a law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his/her official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder, and the civil disorder obstructed, delayed, and adversely affected the conduct and performance of of a federally protected function.
(Civil Disorder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 231(a)(3))
COUNT FOUR: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:44 p.m., to about 4:46 p.m., within the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG, using a deadly or dangerous weapon, that is, a shield, did forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate and interfere with, an officer and employee of the Untied States, and any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the uniformed services), and any person assisting such an officer and employee, while such officer or employee was engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties.
(Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b))
COUNT FIVE: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:54 p.m., to about 4:57 p.m., within the District of Columbia EDWARD JACOB LANG committed and attempted to commit an act to obstruct, impede, and interfere with a law enforcement officer lawfully engaged in the lawful performance of his/her official duties incident to and during the commission of a civil disorder, and the civil disorder obstructed, delayed, and adversely affected the conduct and performance of a federally protected function.
(Civil Disorder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 231(a)(3))
COUNT SIX: On or about January 6, 2021, from about 4:54 p.m., to about 4:57 p.m., within the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG, using a deadly or dangerous weapon, that is, a bat, did forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with, an officer and employee of the United States, and of any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the uniformed services), and any person assisting such an officer and employee, while such officer was engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties.
(Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1)and(b))
COUNT SEVEN: On or about January 6, 2021, within the District of Columbia and elsewhere, EDWARD JACOB LANG, attempted to, and did, corruptly obstruct, influence and impede an official proceeding, that is, a proceeding before Congress, by entering and remaining in the United States Capitol without authority and committing an act of civil disorder and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct and destroying federal property.
(Obstruction of an Official Proceeding and Aiding and Abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(c)(2)and 2)
COUNT EIGHT: On or about January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG did knowingly, and with intent to impede and disrupt conduct of Government business and official functions, engage in disorderly and disruptive conduct in and within such proximity to, a restricted building and grounds, that is, any posted, cordoned-off, or otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President and Vice President-elect were temporarily visiting, when and so that such conduct did in fact impede and disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business and official functions and, during and in relation to the offense, did use and carry a deadly and dangerous weapon, that is, a bat and shield.
(Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds, with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon, in violation of title 18, United States Code, Section 1752(a)(2) and (b)(1)(A))
COUNT NINE: On or about January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG did knowingly, engage in any act of physical violence against any person and property in a restricted building and grounds, that is, posted, cordoned-off, or otherwise restricted area within the United States Capitol and its grounds, where the Vice President and Vice President-elect were temporarily visiting and, during and in relation to the offense, did use and carry a deadly and dangerous weapon, that is, a bat and shield.
(Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds, with a Deadly or Dangerous weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1752(a)(4)and (b)(1)(A))
COUNT TEN: On or about January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG willfully and knowingly engaged in disorderly and disruptive conduct in any of the Capitol Building with the intent to impede, disrupt, and disturb the orderly conduct of a session of Congress and either House of Congress, and the orderly conduct in that building of a hearing before or any deliberation of, a committee of Congress or either House of Congress.
(Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building, in violation of Title 40, United States Code, Section 5104(e)(2)(D))
COUNT ELEVEN: On or about January 6, 2021, in the District of Columbia, EDWARD JACOB LANG willfully and knowingly engaged in an act of physical violence within the United States Capitol Grounds and any of the Capitol Building.
(Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Building, in violation of Title 40, United States Code, Section 5104(e)(2)(F))
September 20, 2021: Courthouse News Service posted: “Rioter who hit police with baseball bat loses bid for jail release” It was written by Samantha Hawkins.
Despite the man’s claims of abuse in jail and other issues, a federal judge refused Monday to order the release of a 26-year-old who fought police for over two hours during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
According to video evidence, some of which the upstate New York filmed himself, Edward Jacob Lang hit officers with an aluminum baseball bat and protective shields, and kicked an officer that was on the ground.
Lang has been charged with 13 counts, including several felonies, but his attorney’s say the defendant was a source of help that day to people who were being trampled of beaten by police officers. One individual even credits Lang for saving his life. “There was no intention to actually harm. it was more warning signs, more trying to separate two crowds, more adrenaline,” said Steven Alan Metcalf, Lang’s attorney. “This is about him jumping into a chaotic situation and doing what he can.”
At a hearing Monday in Washington, Lang told U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols that he was locked in his cell for 23 Horus a day during the first few months following his arrest. Lang says he has been physically and mentally abused by guards during the ongoing solitary confinement. He says his rations have been cut in half, he hasn’t been able to exercise his right to worship, and he hasn’t been able to shave, get a haircut, or even use nail clippers.
“I am currently locked in my cell for 18 and a half hours a day with sensory deprivation,” Lang said. “I’m deprive of so many things that I wouldn’t even be in the right mindset to help even if I were able to.”
In addition to jail conditions, Lang and his attorneys argue that it’s extremely difficult to communicate with each other. When his attorney’s visit, Lang talks to them through plexiglass, and everyone on Lang’s side can hear what he says. Lang also refused to get the vaccinate against the novel coronavirus, meaning he would need to quarantine for two weeks if he wanted to meet with his attorneys in a confidential setting face-to-face.
“Each time discovery is disclosed to us, they’ll be a delay in getting it to him,” Metcalf told Nichols.
Metcalf said that he has tried to send Lang two letters and an email containing discovery that were returned to him without reaching Lang. He argues the Lang needs to be released from jail to review dozens of hours of video evidence.
“The video was the first minute I’ve seen myself in 244 days,” Lang told Nichols, referencing a video of himself that was shown in his Monday court hearing. “I haven’t seen anything. It’s horrifying to me because I want to tell my side of the story.”
Nichols noted, however, that Lang’s defense attorneys haven’t even tried to use the jail’s laptops — which have long wait times and limited access. With this in mine, the judge said he isn’t prepared to modify Lang’s confinement conditions.
“How am I supposed to decide if the current policy is unworkable for you if you haven’t tried under the policy?” Nichols asked.
Nichols also said he would be willing to review a motion to modify Lang’s confinement conditions if they find the jail’s laptop policy to be unworkable. Until then, Lang will remain behind bars.
January 13, 2022: Times Union reported “Capitol riot defendant from Newburgh denied appeal for his release” It was written by Cloey Callahan.
Edward Jacob Lang will remain in jail after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Wednesday upheld a lower court judge’s decision to order Lang’s continued detention. The 26-year-old, who is originally from Sullivan County, was arrested in Neewbugh for his participation in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 last year, a riot that led to five deaths, the assault of some 140 police officers, and $1.5 million worth of damage to the Capitol.
The Appellate Court upheld the Sept. 20 decision by Judge Carl J. Nichols, writing: “The evidence proffered by the government shows that, over the course of two and a half hours on January 6, 2021, appellant repeatedly pushed, punched, and kicked at police officers defending the Lower West Terrace entrance to the Capitol building. He also slammed a door against one officer’s head and struck other officers first with a stolen riot shield and later with a metal baseball bat.”
The Appellate Court referenced another Jan. 6 case, United States vs Munchel, in their ruling: “As we explained in Munchel, ‘those who actually assaulted police officers … are in a different category of dangerousness than those who cheered on the violence or entered the Capitol after others cleared the way.”
Lang is awaiting trial after he was indicted on multiple felony charges in connection to the Capitol riot. He is accused of fighting for almost two and a half hours with besieged officers defending a Capitol entrance against the rioters. Photos of Lang in court paper show him swinging an aluminum baseball bat at police while wearing a gas mask and holding a police riot shield that he commandeered.
In August, Lang’s attorneys argued in a 27-page brief that Lang should be released from the Washington, D.C., jail because he poses no public danger or flight risk and has been unable to meet privately with them to prepare his defense. They also claimed the jail staff has unfairly put him in solitary confinement for long periods and abused him.
“Lang’s physical abuse includes being dragged, shoved, denied regular shower access, and getting an entire can of mace in his face, while standing inside of (his) cell with photos and a bible in his hand,” attorneys Martin Tankless and Steven Metcalf wrote.
Prosecutors argued to keep Lang in custody, citing the “overwhelmingly strong” evidence against him, the violence they say he committed and instigated, and his threats on social media after the riot to resort to guns next time.
Near the end of a court conference held by phone and video in the summer, Lang made an emotional plea to the judge about what he said were his “inhumane” jail conditions, saying “I have been stripped of all human dignity.”
Lang is the only suspect still being held in jail at the Hudson Valley residents charged with taking pat in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He is awaiting trial.
December 17, 2023: RiverReporter.com posted: “The Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging obstruction charge”. It was written by Pamala Chergotis.
Edward (Jacob) Lang’s case took a positive tern last week when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case brought by one of his January 6, co-defendants.
Lang, a former Narrowburg resident and Honesdale High School student, was arrested soon after the attack on the Capitol in 2021, when he lived in Newburgh, NY. He has been in prison ever since. His X (formerly Twitter) profile reads: “Jake Lang Jan 6 Political Prisoner for 1040 days without a trial.”
He is accused of wielding deadly weapons against Capitol police officers, including a bat and a shield. He is also charged with obstruction of an official proceeding, a charge that he and two other defendants — Garret Miller and Joseph Fischer — have challenged.
The Supreme Court on December 13 agreed to hear the case brought by Fischer to dismiss the obstruction charge. The court’s decision, expected by the end of June, will affect not only the three men but former President Trump and hundreds of other January 6 defendants who all face the same charge. The crime carries a maximum of 20 year in prison.
The defendants say the U.S. Justice Department is wrongly charging them under a statute created after the Enron scandal of the early 2000s. The energy company’s accounting firm was charged with obstruction for destroying millions of documents just as the Securities and Exchange Commission was beginning to investigate. The defendants say the statute, part of the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act, is not broad enough to apply to their cases.
The defendants were charged with obstruction for interrupting the joint session of Congress where lawmakers were certifying Electoral College votes.
The FBI made their case with numerous photos and videos posted by Lang and others who were at the Capitol that day. “In the video,” said one FBI agent’s affidavit, said “Lang swung, thrusted, and/or jabbed the bat at law enforcement officers multiple times. In doing so, LANG struck at least the shields the officers held in front of them. As the video progresses, others in the crowd assist in the attack, with some throwing items and one individual spraying the officers with a fire extinguisher.”
Last month, Lang reflected on his time behind bars. He posted on X, “This is my 3rd Thanksgiving away from my family in the basement of Washington DC Jail Gulag — in solitary confinement…
“Look for Christ at your Thanksgiving table this year, and know I am right there with him; me and all the Jan 6ers — pass the gravy! Enjoy & rejoice in your freedom — it isn’t free.
July 16, 2023: Just The News reported: “Jan 6 defendant appeals to Supreme Court in case that could upend hundreds of riot charges”
Jan. 6 defendant Edward Jacob Lang is asking the Supreme Court to hear his challenge against one of the 11 charges he was indicted on — obstruction of an official proceeding — in a case that could upend legal proceedings against hundreds of other defendants indicted on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
The obstruction charge could be levied against “anyone who attends at a public demonstration gone awry,” attorneys for Lang wrote in an appeal to the Supreme Court last week. The proceeding for which the charge was brought refers to the event where Congress certifies the Electoral College votes to confirm the president.
Lang had filed a motion to dismiss the obstruction charge, which carries a 20-year-sentence, before his trial, and the D.C. District court granted this motion. However, an appeals court reversed the lower court’s decision and a motion for rehearing was denied.
Lang’s attorney Norman Pattis told Newsweek that he thinks the Supreme Court could upend the cases of “hundreds of defendants.”
“The government misses and abuse of the federal penal code in the [January 6] case is shocking,” Pattis also said. His client expects to hear this fall whether the Supreme Court will take up the case.
Lang ha been incarcerated for more than 900 days without a trial. he told The Epoch Time that he thinks his appeal could impact the Justice Department’s separate effort to potentially charge former President Donald Trump with obstruction.
“I think the timing of this filing is astronomical,” Lang said. “Donald Trump is the political frontrunner for the Republican Party, and while the other bogus charges might easily go away through a plea deal, the obstruction of Congress charge carries prison time. This would land him in serious hot water with a conviction.”
January 16, 2024: Sullivan County Democrat posted: “Three Years Later”
Exactly three years later, January 6 defendant Edward (Jacob) Lang is still awaiting a trial for over a dozen charges related to his involvement in the assault on the Capitol building in 2021. After multiple pushbacks, his trial date is set for September 9.
This data would set his time awaiting a trial at 3 years and nine months.
Lang, 26, is a longtime resident of Narrowsburg and Honesdale High School graduate, and was arrested in Newburgh, where he was currently living, just 10 days after the raid.
He is the son of Sullivan County businessman, Ned Lang, owner of Lang EnvroVentures in Narrowsburg.
His trial date was moved twice last year. At first, it was switched to May, and then later shifted to October. However, his trial was put on hold once more due to a pending Supreme Court appeal that eyed the possibility of the elimination of one of his 13 federal charges.
One of those charges is that of obstruction of an official proceeding. However, this charge faces a possibility of being dismissed by the Supreme Court as their decision anticipated by June could affect Lang, as well as nearly 300 other January Sixer defendants and former President Donald Trump.
The crime can see the defendant serve a maximum of 20 years in prison, if convicted.
In addition to the obstruction charge, he has been accused of fighting with police for about two hours with his fists, feet, a baseball bat and a shield. Social media saw his presence on the day, with multiple instances of Lang posting photos of himself along with words such as “give me liberty or give me death.”
According to an Associated Press review of court records, at least 152 people have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding and at least 108 of them have been sentenced. Lang’s time spent in jail for January-6-related charges ranks as one of the lengthiest. However, some who were facing similar charges have since been fully acquitted.
In reports, the defendant noted his actions taken in opposition to Capitol Police were a a means of responding to the violence perpetrated by law enforcement.
Lang, arrested on January 16, 2002, has now been behind bars exactly 1,095 days.
May 8, 2024: Lohud posted: “Rally planned at Brooklyn prison for NY man held since 2021 on Jan. 6 cop-assault charges” It was written by Chris McKenna.
Supporters of Capitol riot defendant Jake Lang plan to rally outside a Brooklyn prison on Wednesday to protest his being held there in solitary confinement and his nearly 40 months behind bars while awaiting trial.
The 28-year-old New Yorker faces serious charges for allegedly battling police for more than two hours in the midst of a pro-Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol, including his beating officers with a baseball bat. He has been held primarily in the Washington, D.C., jail since his arrest in January 2021, but he has been moved to other facilities a dozen times and says he was placed in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn around March 1.
The noon rally for the Sullivan County native will be led by his father, Ned Lang of Narrowsburg, and it could be an unusual urban spectacle. At least one horseback rider is expected to take part: Couy Griffin, founder of “Cowboys for Trump” and a former county commissioner from New Mexico who served two weeks in jail for his own Jan. 6 conviction on a trespassing charge.
The younger Lang — referent in court papers by his full name, Edward Jacob Lang — told the USA Today Network in a phone call from prison on Tuesday that he had been kept in solitary confinement since April 9 and leaves his cell only for an hour a day on certain days. He said he has no books, no access to the outside world — other than the phone line for attorney calls that he was using — and leads a “purgatory, sensory-deprivation-like existence.”
Lang, who has given a flood if interviews and conducted his own podcast and other media ventures while locked up, claimed the prison was punishing him for calling a protest during a TV interview with right-wing commentator Lou Dobbs. He said he’s awaiting a disciplinary hearing on a charge of “criminal phone abuse.”
“Basically, they’re trying to stifle my First Amendment,” he told the USA Today Network- New York.
When asked about those claims, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said e couldn’t comment on how particular inmates are being held, but denied any are kept in solitary confinement. He said some are placed in “restrictive housing,” where they are “continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure that continued placement is necessary, including being seen by Medical and Mental Health employees daily.”
“We make every effort to ensure the physical safety and health of the individuals confined to our facilities through a controlled environment that is secure and humane,” spokesman Scott Taylor said.
Lang originally was set to stand trial in January 2023, which was then proposed for October of that year. But his trial is now on hold until this September — at his own behest — to await a Supreme Court ruling on his bid to dismiss one of the 11 charges against him: obstructing an official proceeding. That and a similar challenge brought by another Jan. 6 defendant were argued before the court last month and could be decided by the end of his term in June.
The judge hearing Lang’s case has refused to release him on bail before his trial, citing violent threats that Lang allegedly made after the riot among a litany of reasons to keep him in jail. Lang’s attorney has renewed the request to release him and took a fresh approach in April by filing a writ of habeas corpus as well.
Prosecutors continue to oppose Lang’s release and suggest that he shares blame for his prolonged pretrial detention. In a recent court filing, they pointed out that he insisted on postponing his trial when it was set for last October because of the pending Supreme Court case.
Lang, in Tuesday’s interview, suggested his continued confinement was a “human rights issue” that both Democrats and Republicans should abhor. Only religious conviction has helped him endure his current conditions in the Brooklyn prison, he said.
“Faith has been a shield for me,” he said.