Judge bans Oath Keepers from D.C. after Trump commutes sentences

In January 2025, District Court Judge Amit Mehta ruled that members of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, are prohibited from entering Washington, D.C. without court permission. This ruling came after President Donald Trump commuted the sentences of Oath Keeper members convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Among those affected by the ruling are Stewart Rhodes, the group's founder, and seven others who received lengthy prison sentences for seditious conspiracy. Following their commutations, Rhodes and his co-defendants were seen on Capitol Hill, leading to heightened tensions between the judicial and executive branches regarding oversight of their cases. The acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Edward Martin, opposed the judge's order, arguing that commutation means these defendants are no longer under the court's jurisdiction. This dispute highlights the complexities surrounding the aftermath of the Capitol attack and the processes of legal accountability for those involved. As the legal battle continues, it raises critical questions about the implications of clemency in cases concerning insurrection and the potential risks posed by individuals who have previously expressed violent intent against democratic institutions.