Muhammad Ali’s grandson used to fight when challenged because of his name. Now he’s an MMA fighter

NEW YORK (AP) — Biaggio Ali Walsh used to think about fighting only when someone wanted to see if the grandson of “The Greatest” was any good himself.

Muhammad Ali is one of the biggest and best-known figures in boxing history. When kids in Las Vegas discovered he was also the grandfather of Biaggio and his brother, Nico, they’d challenge the siblings to put on the gloves.

“People would find out who me and Nico were related to and they’d say, ‘Oh, can you fight?” Ali Walsh said. “And I’m like, ’I don’t know.’”

The answer now is clearly yes.

These days, Ali Walsh can’t wait to fight, and he’ll do so again Wednesday at Madison Square Garden with his next bout on a Professional Fighters League card.

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Five fights into his MMA career, it’s the second time he’ll be competing in an arena where his grandfather participated in some of its most memorable events. Ali lost to Joe Frazier there in the 1971 “Fight of the Century” but won his other seven bouts, including a rematch with Frazier, and was the guest referee in the first Wrestlemania.

Ali Walsh fought on his first PFL card at MSG, challenged as much by the historic setting as his opponent.

“I was super nervous but I went in there and just stayed calm, just got the job done and that’s how I want to be in every fight,” Ali Walsh said.

Ali Walsh (4-1) still fights as an amateur, trying to make up for a somewhat late start to a combat career.

Two weeks shy of 25, he certainly lacks the foundation of his grandfather, who began boxing at 12 and was just 18 when he won a boxing gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

But fighting at any age was never part of Ali Walsh’s plan. He was a running back at powerful Bishop Gorman High School, where he scored 65 touchdowns and rushed for more than 4,500 yards on teams that went 45-0 and won three consecutive Nevada state championships from 2014-16. He then spent two seasons at California before transferring back to UNLV to play for his high school coach.

While training to stay in shape as his football career was ending and working as an intern, he developed an itch to join the guys he was helping as a strength and conditioning coach.

“I just saw them putting in all this hard work and I was like, ‘I’m 21, 22 years old, I’m still young, I could do this,’” Ali Walsh said. “Like, I could just go for it. I don’t want to be 40 years old and think, ‘Oh, would I have been a good fighter?’ Like, I don’t want to have those kind of thoughts and regret, so I just said you know what, I’m just going to go for it.”

But having never even wrestled in high school, Ali Walsh had to learn every aspect of his new sport.

Ali’s body was already too ravaged by Parkinson’s disease to have ever shown him his skills — not that the “Ali Shuffle” would do much use in a cage against guys who could go for his legs — so their time together was spent more on dinners and movies. But Ali Walsh was able to pick up something by watching old footage.

“Stylistically, my grandfather had such a stinging jab,” Ali Walsh said. “He really used his jab to set up a bunch of stuff and I think that one of the biggest things that I pick up from him is how he sets up his right hand using his jabs, or he sets up other combos using the jab.”

It’s working for Ali Walsh, who has won all three fights on PFL cards by first-round knockout on punches, including his most recent outing in June.

Still, he concedes he’s a long way from being able to match the experience of the PFL pros fighting for a $1 million prize. Even if he opts to turn pro next year, Ali Walsh said he still wouldn’t expect to go right into the PFL season.

But he’s come a long way already from the guy who lost his debut in June 2022, so overrun with nerves and anxiety that he wilted quickly and found himself in the hospital after the fight, with his family certain he wouldn’t want another one.

He’s come even further from the teenager who recalls being apprehensive when an older kid wanted to fight him.

“He just kept running his mouth, telling me he wants to box me and stuff, ‘Ali’s grandkid, let’s box,’ and I kept saying no, no, no because I was kind of intimidated,” Ali Walsh said. “The dude was a senior. Like, he’s talking down on a 14-year-old. I was kind of intimidated, I don’t want to box, I’m tired. And then obviously the crowd peer pressured me, so I put the gloves on and just freaking whooped his (behind). It was fun.”

It’s more fun now that he knows what he’s doing, believing he’s getting better with every bout. And with Nico an unbeaten pro boxer who has his next fight a few days later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it’s safe to say none of those kids back home would be messing with Ali’s grandsons today.

“They wouldn’t try it now,” Ali Walsh said.

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By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer

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Bengals RB Joe Mixon found not guilty of aggravated menacing during traffic dispute

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was found not guilty Thursday of aggravated menacing in a January traffic dispute.

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Gwen Bender acquitted Mixon of the misdemeanor charge after a four-day bench trial.

A woman had accused the 27-year-old of pointing a gun at her as their cars were stopped next to each other at a traffic light. Mixon’s attorneys argued it couldn’t be proven that he ever had a gun in the car.

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The woman involved, whose name wasn’t disclosed in court, said she and Mixon yelled at each other angrily after he cut her off in traffic. Mixon contended the woman started the confrontation by flipping him off.

She said Mixon then pointed the gun at her as their cars were stopped.

“This is a classic case of ‘he said, she said,’” defense attorney Scott Croswell said.

If Mixon had been convicted, he could have faced up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

“Joe has been a top level running back with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and he has been an even better teammate enjoying real popularity among his peers,” the Bengals said in a statement later Thursday.

“During the past seven years, Joe has been active with the community, and his constant smile and energy have made him a favorite among thousands of fans. The organization is pleased that this matter is now behind everyone, and we look forward to an exciting season with Joe being an important part of the football team,” the statement said.

A second-round draft pick by the Bengals in 2017, Mixon’s best year was the Super Bowl season of 2021 when he rushed for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Before this season, Mixon agreed to restructure his contract to take a pay cut so he could stay with the Bengals.

Mixon may be facing another legal issue. In March, Mixon’s sister and her boyfriend were indicted after shots were fired from Mixon’s property at some neighborhood teenagers. Mixon was named in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a 16-year-old who was shot in the foot. The civil action accuses Mixon of being negligent.

While in college at Oklahoma, Mixon was suspended for the 2014 season after punching a woman at a restaurant. He apologized publicly and reached an out-of-court settlement with the victim.

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Supreme Court sees no emergency in tribal jurisdiction fight over speeding ticket

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court turned down an application Friday from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in its bid to retain jurisdiction over a 2018 speeding ticket. 

While the ruling from the court’s emergency docket came without explanation, Justice Samuel Alito joined a statement by Justice Brett Kavanaugh that clarifies the court’s decision to deny relief. 

“The City of Tulsa’s application for a stay raises an important question: whether the City may enforce its municipal laws against American Indians in Tulsa,” the Trump appointee wrote. “For example, may Indians in Tulsa violate the City’s traffic safety laws without enforcement by the City?” 

Kavanaugh said the posture from which the application came about is was what stopped the court from interfering. The 10th Circuit remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings. Kavanaugh said the application did not yet reach the important jurisdiction arguments proposed by amicus curiae like the state of Oklahoma. 

“As I understand it, nothing in the decision of the Court of Appeals prohibits the City from continuing to enforce its municipal laws against all persons, including Indians, as the litigation progresses,” Kavanaugh wrote. 

Friday’s ruling vacates the temporary stay granted by Justice Neil Gorsuch last week to review the emergency application from the city.

Tulsa police issued the ticket to Justin Hooper while he was driving on the Muscogee Creek Nation reservation in 2018. Hooper, a member of the Choctaw Nation, originally paid the fine, but a subsequent landmark ruling on tribal authority from the Supreme Court made him question if the city of Tulsa could even issue the infraction. 

In the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, the justices said Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction under the federal Major Crimes Act to prosecute Indians or non-Indians for crimes committed in large swaths of eastern Oklahoma, part of the Creek Nation before the Trail of Tears. 

Since then, however, the court has already narrowed McGirt. In Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, the justices said the federal government and the state should have concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed by non-Indians against Indians in Indian country. 

Hooper attempted to obtain post-conviction relief from Tulsa’s municipal court after the court ruled in McGirt. The municipal court denied Hooper relief, leading him to turn to the district court, where he asked for a declaratory judgment that the city does not have jurisdiction to prosecute Indians for violations of city ordinances that occur within both city limits and the Muscogee Creek Reservation boundaries. 

Using the 1896 Curtis Act, a federal judge rejected Hooper’s claims. The century-old law established a pre-statehood process for cities that could subject all inhabitants — both Indians and non-Indians — to ordinances of the city government. 

The 10th Circuit said, although a provision of the Curtis Act submit city inhabitants to its laws, Tulsa incorporated the provision after joining the state of Oklahoma, and gave up this authority by doing so. 

Tulsa then turned to the high court, asking the justices to clarify how the Curtis Act should be understood in light of McGirt. 

“While the Curtis Act is not new law, the question of application of the act to modern day enforcement of municipal ordinances against Indians was not brought to the forefront until this Court’s decision in McGirt turned over 125 years of jurisdictional suppositions and exposed this long-dormant question,” Kristine Gray, an attorney with the office of the city, wrote in Tulsa’s emergency application. 

Hooper said the high court should not put the appeals court ruling on pause because it doesn’t currently conflict with other circuit court rulings or present an important federal question. 

“Tulsa’s only argument is that under Rule 10(c), the proper interpretation of Section 14 of the Curtis Act is an important federal question that should be reviewed by the Court,” John Dunn, an attorney with the law offices of John Dunn representing Hooper, wrote in his response brief. “But on the merits, Tulsa’s application makes abundantly clear that its petition will be no more than a request for error correction, which is not a likely basis for a grant of certiorari.” 

The case will now return to the district court for further proceedings. 

from Courthouse News

Reporting the news

I don’t know what to make of this so I’ll just report it: The Oklahoma Bar Association and the Oklahoma Supreme Court last week co-sponsored an event worth three hours of continuing legal education credit.

The event was a free showing of “My Cousin Vinny” followed by a panel discussion moderated by the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The movie was two hours. The discussion was scheduled for an hour and a quarter.

The panel included two other judges, a district attorney and the principal chief of the Osage Nation.

Do you get the feeling they’re at the end of the school year and the teacher wanted to kill some time by showing a movie?

Lesson plans are exhausting.

By the way, I recommend perusing some of the other Oklahoma options in the “general” category. My favorite is the four hours of credit you can get by paying $300 for “A Comedic De-Briefing of the Law: 2022-2023,” taught by someone from “Comedian of Law, LLC.”

You get the CLE credit even though the course comes with a “disclaimer” that the bar association had nothing to do with the material presented and “makes no warranty, express or implied, relating to the accuracy or content of these materials.”

I’m guessing there’s not going to be a test.

Comedy news. I don’t know what to make of this either, so I’ll just report it, too: The company that produces “Last Week Tonight” last week sued the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for failing to turn over documents relating to the use of the song “God Bless the USA” at naturalization ceremonies.

I can understand legitimate comedic requests. The odd part for me is the response, at least as described in the lawsuit, from the defendants. They claimed they needed an extra 10 days to comply because the request presented “unusual circumstances.” The 10 days ended on June 8. No response as of last week.

In case you’re wondering, the original request was made in April, before the writers strike began. Entertainment lawyers are not striking. At least not yet.

I suppose the request is unusual but it doesn’t seem all that complicated either. Is there a scandal here they’re hiding? Does this have something to do with national security?

Why is it on the “complex” track?

You also may be wondering about the comedy expose angle for “Last Week.”

 Is subjecting potential new citizens to cheesy, jingoistic music a form of torture that we need to know about?

That’s plausible, but there might be a clue about another issue in the lawsuit. The complaint said Justice’s Office of Information and Policy had 1,163 pending complex requests at the end of 2022. They’d been pending an average of 619.66 days. Justice’s Civil Division had another 133 pending.

The immigration services agency, according to the suit, listed the song info request as number 939 out of 1,106 pending requests.

Someone needs to file a Freedom of Information Act request for documents relating to the granting of FOIA requests. If nothing else, I’d like to know how many requests come from comedy shows.

I’m hoping for answers once the writers strike is over.

from Courthouse News

Big 12 not quite the same, but it feels like home to a 98-year-old Colorado fan

(AP) — Peggy Coppom hasn’t quite seen it all with the Colorado Buffaloes, but she’s seen much more than most, so believe her when she says Thursday was a good day to be a fan.

The 98-year-old has been attending football games since her family moved from the high plains of eastern Colorado to Boulder in 1939 to escape the Dust Bowl, and she’s missed only a couple of home games since buying season tickets in 1966.

The excitement in her voice was obvious during a phone call minutes after university regents approved the school’s return to the Big 12 in 2024.

“I’m so happy to get back to the Big 12 — or the Big 15 or whatever it ends up being,” she said, laughing. “It seems like that’s where we belong. We don’t belong with the West Coast people.”

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Of course, the Big 12 isn’t the same league it was when the Buffs left for the Pac-12 in 2012. Nebraska and Missouri are gone, and Oklahoma and Texas will be, too. BYU could become a rival, but the Buffs have little in common with Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida.

“I wish some of those old schools were there, but we’ll make the best of it,” Coppom said.

The conference change, plus the hiring of Deion Sanders, has her eagerly anticipating watching the Buffs from her seats near the 40-yard line on the west side of Folsom Field — “God willing, I always have to add,” she said.

Coppom, carrying a gold pom-pom, was escorted onto the field by Sanders and performed a ceremonial kickoff during the spring game in April. Coppom said Sanders and the return to the Big 12 have created the most buzz about the team since it won a share of the national championship in 1990.

Former CU fullback Jim Kelleher, who was second in the Big Eight with 15 rushing touchdowns in 1976, said he’s in wait-and-see mode about the move.

“I originally wasn’t that excited about it, but at the same time, the Pac-12 had let things get to such a point where you had to do something,” he said. “The Big 12 signed a good media rights agreement. It’s just sad the Pac-12 hasn’t been able to get a TV contract.”

Kelleher said that while Colorado will get exposure across three time zones, which is a positive, he’s sad to see how traditions and geographic rivalries have been sacrificed with realignment in general.

Specific to Colorado, he said, the Buffs seemed to be a good fit in the Pac-12. He said his sentimental attachment to the Big 12 won’t be there without Nebraska and other teams he played against in the old Big Eight.

“Whether it’s the school or the individual athletes — with TV and NIL — it’s all money, money, money,” he said. “I understand their decision. Hey, I’m part of the Colorado team, so I’m for my team and hope it works out.”

Tom Osborne, the College Football Hall of Fame coach at Nebraska and its former athletic director, shepherded the Cornhuskers’ move from the Big 12 to Big Ten in 2011. He said he’s able to view past, present and future realignment from the perspective of both a fan and administrator.

“You’re talking about lost traditions,” Osborne said. “I can share the feelings of the fans in that I miss those drives to Manhattan, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas; Ames, Iowa, and some of those relationships.”

Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten had as much or more to do with finding stability as it did with finances, Osborne said. In the summer of 2011, Osborne said, Big 12 South teams were negotiating with the Pac-12, Missouri wanted to go to the SEC and Texas A&M also was looking to leave.

“Finances are driving this thing more than anything, and my guess is that the uncertainty about where the Pac-12 stands right now appears to make the Big 12 better for Colorado — even though the Big 12 has not been a paragon of stability.”

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By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer

from Courthouse News

Colorado leaving Pac-12 and returning to Big 12 in 2024 following unanimous vote by board of regents

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado is leaving the Pac-12, and the Big 12 is ready to welcome the Buffaloes back to the conference they left a dozen years ago.

Colorado’s board of regents voted 9-0 in a special remote meeting Thursday to approve the conference switch in 2024.

“The landscape of collegiate sports is ever-evolving, and the University of Colorado Boulder has determined the Big 12 is the best future fit for our athletic teams,” school President Todd Saliman said.

“After careful thought and consideration, it was determined that a switch in conference would give CU Boulder the stability, resources, and exposure necessary for long-term future success in a college athletics environment that is constantly evolving,” CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano said in a joint statement with Athletic Director Rick George.

“The Big 12’s national reach across three time zones as well as our shared creative vision for the future we feel makes it an excellent fit for CU Boulder, our students, faculty, and alumni,” DiStefano said, adding, “These decisions are never easy and we’ve valued our 12 years as proud members of the Pac-12 Conference. We look forward to achieving new goals while embarking on this exciting next era as members of the Big 12 Conference.”

While some of the regents expressed disappointment about leaving the Pac-12, they said the shifting sports landscape left CU no option but to rejoin the conference where they were a founding member in 1996.

The Buffs actually joined the Big Six conference in 1947 and remained with the expanded league for 63 years as it eventually grew into the Big 12.

Colorado will join the Big 12 in 2024 and becomes the third school to leave the Pac-12 in the last year, joining UCLA and USC, which are joining the Big Ten next year.

Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept Colorado as a new member, clearing the way for the school to leave the Pac-12 and rejoin its former league, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its expansion plans public. ESPN first reported the vote.

Colorado still needs to go through a formal process on its campus in Boulder and officially accept membership.

Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, athletic directors and Commissioner George Kliavkoff were scheduled to convene Thursday to discuss the next moves for the conference, two people with knowledge of the meeting told AP on condition of anonymity because the conference is not making its internal moves public.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has spoken for months about his desire to expand the conference and add schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. A second person familiar with the Big 12’s expansion aspirations, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told AP the school and league have been in contact for more than a month about a potential departure from the Pac-12.

Colorado’s departure could lead to more defections from the Pac-12, which has seemed vulnerable to more poaching after losing USC and UCLA to the Big Ten and with negotiations for a new media rights contract dragging on. Current deals with ESPN and Fox expire after this school year.

The Los Angeles schools are in their last go-round as Pac-12 members this year. With contractual agreements running out, the Buffaloes are positioned to rejoin the Big 12; the league last year came to an agreement with ESPN and Fox on a six-year extension worth more than $2 billion that runs through 2030-31.

Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff had said at football media days last week that the 10 remaining conference members were committed to staying together. Text messages to Kliavkoff and Colorado athletic director Rick George were not returned.

Colorado was an original member of the Big 12 in 1996, and joined the Pac-12 in 2011. The Buffaloes’ football team has had only one winning record over a full season since joining the Pac-12, and went 1-11 last year, leading to the hiring of former NFL star Deion Sanders.

The Big 12 has 14 members this year, but Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the Southeastern Conference next year. The second person familiar with the Big 12’s discussions said the conference would ideally like to expand to 16 schools with Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado all coming over from the Pac-12 to create a Western wing of the league.

Big 12 leadership has also discussed the possibility of trying to add UConn, which won the men’s NCAA basketball tournament earlier this year, and Gonzaga, a basketball powerhouse that does not have a football team, the person said. The Big 12 has been the strongest men’s basketball conference in the country over the last few seasons, and Yormark has said he believes the sport could be a source of untapped value in future media rights deals.

Although the Big 12 landscape is different than it was when Colorado was last a member, the Buffaloes have several rivalries to renew.

“Iowa State is thrilled to welcome the University of Colorado back into the Big 12 Conference,” Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said. “The Cyclones and Buffaloes enjoyed a spirited rivalry for more than 60 years in the Big 7, Big 8 and early years of the Big 12, so we are excited to resume competing with them next year.

“This great news for the Big 12 Conference would not have been possible without Commissioner Yormark’s vision as well as the hard work by former Commissioner (Bob) Bowlsby in bringing BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on board as members in 2023-24. The Big 12 brand has never been stronger, and I believe great days are ahead for our conference.”

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By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer

AP College Football Writers Ralph D. Russo and Eric Olson contributed to this report.

from Courthouse News

High school student who sat in Pence’s chair during Capitol riot is sentenced to 1 year in prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — A high school student who stormed the U.S. Capitol, assaulted a police officer and sat in a Senate floor chair reserved for the vice president was sentenced on Wednesday to one year in prison.

Georgia resident Bruno Joseph Cua was 18 when he attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, making him one of the youngest people charged in the riot.

Before learning his sentence, Cua apologized for his actions and told U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss that he is ashamed of his role in a mob’s “attack on democracy.”

“Everything that day was just one terrible decision after another,” said Cua, now 21.

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Moss sentenced Cua to a prison term of one year and one day followed by three years of supervised release. The judge convicted Cua of felony charges after a trial earlier this year.

Moss told Cua that he was prepared to give him a longer prison sentence before he heard his statement in court on Wednesday. The judge said he believes Cua is truly remorseful.

“It’s a tragic case for the country. It’s a tragic case for you and your family,” the judge told him. “There are no winners in any of this.”

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related crimes. Cua is one of at least six Capitol riot defendants born in 2002, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia.

Cua’s attorneys cited his youth as grounds for leniency. His actions on Jan. 6 “reflect his immaturity at the time and the effects that the crowd had on such a young person,” defense attorneys wrote in a court filing.

Around the time of the riot, Cua was finishing online coursework to graduate from high school. Prosecutors said Cua’s age is “only slightly” a mitigating factor in his favor.

“Americans who reach the age of 18 are entrusted with several important responsibilities and duties including voting, joining the military, signing a contract, and serving on a jury. In this way, the law recognizes that an 18-year-old is capable of making mature decisions,” they wrote in a court filing.

Justice Department prosecutor Kaitlin Klamann said at least five Capitol riot defendants were younger than Cua on Jan. 6. Two of the five have resolved their cases and avoided prison terms. Both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor offenses and were sentenced to probation.

Cua planned his attack weeks in advance, brought weapons to the Capitol, tried to terrorize congressional staffers and was repeatedly aggressive toward police, prosecutors said.

They added, “Cua played a unique and prominent role on January 6, opening the Senate Chamber to the rioters, escalating confrontations, and leading other rioters into and through the Capitol.”

Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of four years and nine months for Cua. His lawyers asked the judge to sentence him to time served: the 40 days he spent in jail after his February 2021 arrest.

Cua said he was “scarred to my core” by his jail time. Another inmate assaulted Cua while he was jailed in Oklahoma, according to one of his lawyers.

“I did something stupid to land myself there, but it was traumatizing,” Cua said.

Other young rioters have received prison terms. In March, for example, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton sentenced Aiden Bilyard to three years and four months of incarceration. Bilyard, of Cary, North Carolina, also was 18 when he stormed the Capitol, pepper sprayed a line of police officers and used a bat to break into a Capitol conference room.

Cua and his parents drove from their home in Milton, Georgia, to Washington D.C., arriving a day before then-President Donald Trump spoke at his “Stop the Steal” rally. The Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

Cua was armed with pepper spray and a metal baton — weapons given to him by his father — when rioters breached police lines on the west side of the Capitol, according to prosecutors. After climbing scaffolding, Cua entered the building through the Upper West Terrace doors and and walked down a hallway toward the Senate.

“As Cua walked down the hallway, he tried to open every single office door he passed by pulling on doorknobs, pounding on the doors with his fist, and kicking the doors,” prosecutors wrote.

They said Cua intended to intimidate staffers who were behind the doors as he yelled, “Hey! Where are the swamp rats hiding?”

Cua went to the third floor, where he shoved a Capitol police officer who was trying to lock doors to the Senate gallery. After the officer retreated, Cua entered the gallery, shouting “This is our house! This is our country!” Jumping onto the Senate floor, he sat in the chair for then-Vice President Mike Pence, leaned back and propped his feet up on a desk.

Then he opened a door, allowing dozens of other rioters onto the Senate floor. Before leaving, Cua rifled through desks belonging to Senators Charles Grassley, John Thune and Dianne Feinstein.

Moss decided the case against Cua without a jury in February, convicting him of obstructing the Jan. 6 congressional proceeding and assaulting a federal officer. The judge handed down the verdict after a “stipulated bench trial,” a proceeding in which Cua didn’t contest the facts supporting his convictions. He waived his right to a jury trial.

Prosecutors asked Moss to impose a $23,485 fine, which equals the amount of money raised by an online fundraising campaign called “Bruno Cua: An American’s Future at Stake.” The website said the funds will be used for Cua’s “many expenses in his pursuit of his freedom.”

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By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

from Courthouse News