Three Springfield men are facing up to six months in prison now that they have pleaded guilty to federal misdemeanors for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to media reports.
Sentencing for Zachary Martin, 45, Michael Quick, 44, and his brother Stephen Quick, 49 is scheduled for March 17.
“If I was either of these guys, I would consider myself to be lucky that I wasn't charged with a felony,” said Patrick A. McInerney, partner with the Spencer Fane law firm in Kansas City and former state prosecutor. “These are misdemeanors. So, they're looking at perhaps a little bit of prison time and more than likely a fine.”
The Quick brothers and Martin are among some 17 Missourians who have been rounded up for prosecution as a result of attending the "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C. in response to the Nov. 3, 2020 election, which they allege had been stolen from former President Trump.
“Given the political bent of Missouri and the really outsized far-right views of a lot of Missourians I'm not surprised at all,” McInerney told the St. Louis Record.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that Martin posted video of himself inside the Capitol building on Facebook while the Quicks confessed to attending the rally and later entering the Capitol building.
“I think they've done the math and they realize that it's a difficult prospect to try to beat that evidence back,” McInerney said. “The prosecutors have done their best to conform the charges to the evidence and to be measured in the way they do this. They've been very aggressive against people who have caused harm to law enforcement officers and actual damage.”
In total, more than 700 prosecutions have been prepared, according to McInerney.
“If the U.S. Capitol is a restricted area, whether the door is open or not, it's unlawful for someone to enter it without authorization or permission,” McInerney added. “If the door was broken and then an individual chose to enter the Capitol, then that's an unlawful entry and that’s a different charge than would be appropriate for somebody who actually damaged and broke down the door and entered. I see a distinction there.”