Bay Area defendants among those pardoned in Capitol attacks
Bay Area residents among those pardoned in Jan. 6 Capitol invasion
President Trump has issued blanket pardons and ordered dismissals of pending cases in Capitol invasion. Defendants, attorneys and law enforcement with Bay Area ties react.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A number of defendants with Bay Area ties have been pardoned or have had their pending criminal cases tossed over the Capitol invasion because of President Trump's executive order.
Retired Santa Clara engineer Patrick Bournes was sentenced to four months in federal prison after pleading guilty to taking part in the invasion.
The FBI says images show Bournes confronting police officers in a tunnel in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.
But now, Bournes and many other Northern California residents are among hundreds of so-called "J6" participants who have been pardoned by Trump.
Dyke Huish is an attorney who represented Bournes and other J6 defendants.
"He's a responsible, patriotic American, and I'm glad, and I know he's happy he has received his pardon and will be restored to his full rights," Huish said.
Danean MacAndrew of Orange County spent more than two months at the now-closed federal prison in Dublin for her role in the invasion.
"Our cases were tried differently from other cases, and I believe we were treated unfairly. I believe we were overcharged," MacAndrew said.
Trump's executive order also led a judge on Wednesday - just nine days after the case was filed - to toss charges against Frank Giorgi Jr., who helps run Molinari Salami in San Francisco.
David Lim, a former Alameda County prosecutor and defense attorney, says Trump has the power to pardon but that the blanket nature of it all is concerning.
"It doesn't seem to be well-thought-out," Lim said. "It seems to kind of cast a wide net for purely political purposes."
Andrew Black, a former FBI agent, says rank and file agents are upset at both Trump and his predecessor, who commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, who killed two FBI agents.
"They're upset, because even the most culpable individuals in the Jan. 6 incident were released and pardoned, and they're very upset at the Biden Administration for releasing Leonard Peltier," Black said.
Huish said, "I hope that this will begin the end of what has been a long national nightmare and that both sides can get back to real justice."
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan