McCall Calhoun (Image via Twitter)
William McCall Calhoun has been found guilty on multiple charges for his role in the January 6th riot.
Calhoun is the Georgia attorney who allegedly said he was among the first who “kicked in Nancy Pelosi’s office door” and that Pelosi would’ve been “torn into little pieces” if the mob found her during the Capitol siege. At first he was denied bail, with the judge saying, “[B]ecause of the corrupting and dangerous ideology that has poisoned this man’s mind, I wouldn’t trust him to do anything I told him to do. He probably considers me scum who deserves a headshot. So, no, I’m not gonna release him.” After Calhoun took a much more conciliatory tact, he was released on bail. Despite his own legal troubles, he was still representing clients through it all.
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After a two-day bench trial, U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the District of Columbia found Calhoun guilty of a felony of obstruction of an official proceeding. He was also found guilty of misdemeanor charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Calhoun previously rejected a plea deal, saying, “They offered me a felony. I know I didn’t commit a felony.” Judge Friedrich obviously disagrees.
Georgia Bar spokeswoman Jennifer Mason previously said that professional discipline would have to wait until the Calhoun’s criminal case was resolved, “The bar does not govern personal conduct by a lawyer. Mr. Calhoun’s participation in the riots was personal conduct and does not violate the Rules of Professional Conduct unless it constituted a crime. Our rules require that the lawyer be convicted before we act because, just like any other person accused of a crime, our system grants defendants a presumption of innocence.” Now it would appear the door is wide open for the bar to take action.
Calhoun faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the felony charge.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].