Judge Kelly Dismisses Capitol Riot Cases Following Trump Pardons

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly dismissed the federal convictions of Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola on July 11, 2026. The ruling followed a Department of Justice motion to dismiss the cases with prejudice, permanently barring the government from refiling charges. The move was prompted by a January 20, 2025, executive order from President Donald Trump that granted clemency to approximately 1,500 individuals and provided mass pardons to January 6 defendants.

Before the dismissal, a federal appeals court had already vacated the seditious conspiracy convictions for Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl, as well as other charges against Pezzola. The men had previously received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years. Former Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, who received a full pardon, celebrated the outcome, while defendant Zachary Rehl expressed relief that the events were now in his past.

Judge Kelly granted the motion based on separation-of-powers principles, noting that the court cannot compel the executive branch to pursue prosecutions. However, he sharply criticized the administration's decision, stating that the January 6 attack was a "perilous event" and an assault on the constitutional mechanism for the peaceful transfer of power. He further remarked that the government's request was based on the president's views—whether "fact or fiction"—and emphasized that the court's ruling was not an endorsement of the executive's decision to abandon the prosecutions.