71-Year-Old Grandma Convicted on All Charges After Praying in Capitol on Jan. 6
A Washington, D.C., jury has found Rebecca Lavrenz of Falcon, Colorado, also known as the “J6 Praying Grandma” on social media, guilty of four federal misdemeanor charges related to her involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
The 71-year-old could face up to a year in prison and fines exceeding $200,000, as reported by the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Court documents state Lavrenz's offenses as entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted area, disorderly conduct in the Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol.
The Biden DOJ wants to throw 70-year-old grandmother Rebecca Lavrenz in jail for a year and hit her with $210,000 in fines.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 4, 2024
Her crime?
Praying in the Capitol for 10 minutes on January 6th.
Meanwhile illegal aliens not only go unpunished for their crimes, but are rewarded… pic.twitter.com/7d6uhaZCYg
Federal prosecutors cited cellphone data and video evidence indicating Lavrenz entered the Capitol around 2:43 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, approximately 90 minutes after President Donald Trump's speech on the Ellipse.
She exited the Capitol Rotunda around 2:53 p.m., spending about 10 minutes inside. The Department of Justice did not accuse her of violent actions or property damage.
Lavrenz expressed surprise at the verdict, believing it was God's will for her voice to be heard. She stated, “We have to wake up our country.”
Unlike many swift Jan. 6 case deliberations, the 12-member jury deliberated Lavrenz's case for 26 hours at the federal court in the District of Columbia.
“The deliberation was good because obviously at least one person on the jury was fighting for me," Lavrenz remarked.
She shared that she felt led by God to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, to protest alleged election irregularities.
“My whole reason for going to the Capitol was to pray. I was there to stand up for my country," Lavrenz said, emphasizing her First Amendment rights.
She described feeling God's presence during her time inside the Capitol.
In a video before her trial, Lavrenz expressed frustration, feeling treated like a criminal for defending her beliefs.
In tears as I drive by the Capitol for the first time since January 2021.
— Rebecca Lavrenz (@j6prayingrandma) March 20, 2024
My own country is treating me like a criminal. I’m here because I love my country. America is worth saving and I won’t give up.#j6trial #j6prayingrandma pic.twitter.com/hpW2MVOVJd
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves noted that the focus in prosecutions was on those who entered the Capitol or engaged in misconduct on Capitol grounds, but anyone who entered the Capitol grounds could still face charges.
The Department of Justice reported over 1,265 defendants charged in almost all states and D.C., with approximately 467 receiving sentences, including periods of incarceration, for their actions on Jan. 6.