A federal judge on Friday dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against four members of the Proud Boys, formally vacating their convictions for their roles in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the charges with prejudice, effectively ending one of the most significant criminal prosecutions stemming from the riot.
The ruling follows a series of executive actions by President Donald Trump, who upon taking office in 2025, issued a sweeping order granting clemency to over 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol breach. While the president initially commuted the prison sentences of the four defendants—Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola—their convictions remained on the record until this week’s court action.
In his seven-page memorandum, Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, noted that he had no legal authority to compel the executive branch to continue a prosecution it no longer wished to pursue. He emphasized that the decision to abandon the case rested solely with the administration, regardless of the court’s previous findings or the seriousness of the conduct involved.
Kelly’s order permanently bars the federal government from refiling the same charges against the four men. The dismissal marks a definitive conclusion to a case that had resulted in lengthy prison terms for the defendants, who were convicted by juries in 2023 for their efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
In his ruling, the judge clarified that granting the government’s motion should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the administration’s policy. He stated that the court’s role is limited in the face of executive charging decisions, even when those decisions follow high-profile convictions for crimes against the government.