On Monday, the Department of Justice handed down a sentence to 72-year-old Rebecca Lavrenz, known as the “J6 praying grandma,” that included six months of house arrest, restricted internet use, 12 months of probation, and a $103,000 fine.
This decision has been widely criticized as an unjust affront to the American justice system.
Despite her previously clean record, she has been labeled a threat to future acts of political violence based on her involvement in the events of January 6th, 2021.
The government’s harsh characterization of Lavrenz contrasts sharply with the lack of clarity regarding her actual actions.
Her case is just one example in a disturbing trend where peaceful demonstrators present at the Capitol on January 6th have been unfairly targeted and subjected to unjust treatment by a system that seems to have lost its commitment to fairness and due process.
The Lavrenz conviction stands out as an example of the harsh and unjust nature of the January 6th trials that have been impacting the country’s justice system for the past four years. It also sheds light on the vengeful and petty behavior of today’s Department of Justice.
Without Lavrenz’s remarkable courage and unwavering faith through great adversity, it is likely that she would have received a lesser sentence from the DOJ.
Prior to her sentencing, the DOJ released a 34-page memo detailing her alleged crimes, which appear exaggerated and misleading upon closer examination.
The government’s portrayal of Lavrenz’s “criminal” behavior is far-fetched, as she did not lead violent protestors or incite any disturbances, but rather peacefully followed others into the building.
It is evident that many individuals were allowed into the Capitol without issue, while others were influenced by agitators to cause disruption and enter the building.
Lavrenz was caught up in the chaos, but she did not engage in any misconduct, especially compared to other protesters whose actions were much more severe.
Evidence of this can be found in footnote 1 of Lavrenz’s memo, where the Government tries to portray her as a violent domestic terrorist by citing the protest’s approximate cost, despite no evidence linking her to the damage.
The Government’s attempt to sow confusion and embellish the case with irrelevant statistics is puzzling and suggests a lack of evidence against Lavrenz.
The memo also reveals that Lavrenz’s unusually lengthy sentencing was justified because she had been vocal about the corrupt prosecution of January 6th rioters.
This suggests that her positive outlook and unwavering faith made her a perceived threat, leading to an unjustly harsh sentence.
Undoubtedly, Lavrenz has caused the DOJ significant embarrassment. However, in a society that is supposed to uphold the rule of law, prosecutors should never allow their emotions to influence their decisions on punishment. Yet, that is exactly what happened to this grandmother who was praying.
It’s not Lavrenz’s fault that the DOJ officials are so incompetent that they couldn’t anticipate the negative consequences of targeting a woman who can easily be portrayed as a “praying great grandma” by the press.
Unfortunately, she now has to bear the literal cost of advocating for herself.
In a later section of the memo, the government highlights several media appearances made by Lavrenz in which she advocated for her cause.
The list includes appearances on “Newsmax,” “America First with Sebastian Gorka,” and “The Absolute Truth with Emerald Robinson.”
The memo disapprovingly characterizes these media appearances as instances where Lavrenz “fundraised off her criminal convictions, questioned the fairness of her trial, and showed no remorse for her criminal conduct.”
Strangely absent from this discussion is any acknowledgment of Lavrenz’s right to express her views – a right still protected under the First Amendment, even in 2024.
Curiously omitted as well is any mention of Lavrenz’s right to critique the fairness of her trial (which she is entitled to do), as well as her right to raise concerns about perceived due process violations – also a fundamental protected right.
Is the Constitution being disregarded? That appears to be the message from the DOJ.
Instead of making a genuine effort to construct a plausible theory of the case, the Government’s memo comes across as lazy and careless.
It reads more like the work of a stalker fixated on monitoring Rebecca Lavrenz’ social media content in hopes of catching her in a compromising moment, rather than that of a competent agency responsible for upholding the rule of law – which is what the DOJ used to do, long ago.
Additionally, the government’s memo conspicuously overlooks something that was once essential for proving someone guilty of a crime: an accurate interpretation and application of the law.
On closer examination, this omission seems deliberate. No lawful application would ever find someone like Rebecca Lavrenz guilty.
She is a deeply religious mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who is cherished by her family and community.
She cares so much for her country that she is willing to endure political persecution, even in her seventies, to encourage people to stand up for their freedoms – especially in an era marked by unprecedented levels of tyranny and injustice.
Therefore, the government’s haphazard compilation of minor offenses – particularly following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Government’s use of the 1512 statute in J6 cases was unconstitutional – makes the DOJ appear both ridiculous and desperate.
Lavrenz writes a blog regularly updating the world about her case and thoughts at www.RestoringGodlyCulture.com. In closing, it is appropriate to quote Lavrenz in her own words, where she detailed in one of her latest entries how she sees herself – and the trials that she has endured – as something of a vessel for God’s greater mission, a purpose that even she may not fully understand at this time:
Looking back over my life, I see a process that God has used in drawing me close to Him as a Father, to be in relationship with Him, to know His love for me and hear His still small voice in order to walk out a purpose that has been bigger than anything I could ever have dreamed of. This process has involved many things; taking care of my heart when it was wounded, offended or believing lies, saying no to things that were lawful but not profitable, saying yes to God rather than please man, denying myself to follow Jesus. I think Hebrews 12:11 sums it up well “For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness–in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].”
Readers can support Rebecca’s GiveSendGo Page here.
