Supreme Court rejects J6 journalist Owen Shroyer’s petition to hear First Amendment case

Shroyer was charged with a misdemeanor for trespassing on the Capitol grounds as well as using a blowhorn at the front of the Capitol building and is alleged to have inflamed the crowd by doing so.

Shroyer and Jones said that they were attempting to calm the crowd down at the front of the building and Jones has been seen on video calling for the crowd to steer away from the Capitol. Prosecutors have alleged that when Shroyer went on the steps of the Capitol and led a chant in "1776," that he violated that motive of calming down the crowd, per Politico. Prosecutors argued that he also ignored officers' calls to leave the Capitol grounds altogether.

His case was turned down along with many others on Monday. He pleaded guilty last year to trespassing on Capitol grounds and was given 60 days in prison by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. Shroyer said he would appeal on the grounds that he should not be found guilty under the protection of the First Amendment.

Shroyer did not enter the Capitol building and was only on its public grounds at time of the events. While standing outside the building on J6, Shroyer said, "Democrats are posing as communists, but we know what they really are: They're just tyrants; they're tyrants."

After his sentencing, Shroyer posted a video, saying, "That year 1776 is extremely important not just because it was the founding year of our country, but the US government is arguing that it's illegal for me to say 1776 in Washington, DC."

"Don't believe me?" Shroyer added. "Check the US government sentencing memo for yourself. They said that me chanting '1776' in Washington, DC is worthy of 60 days in prison."