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At a sentencing hearing in Washington, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, appointed by Donald Trump, publicly praised prosecutors Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White—who were placed on administrative leave hours after filing a memo that called the Jan. 6 crowd a “mob of rioters.” The hearing concerned Taylor Taranto, a Jan. 6 defendant also convicted on gun and other charges tied to a 2023 incident. Nichols sentenced Taranto to 21 months, effectively time served, plus 36 months of supervised release, drug testing, and a mental health assessment. Valdivia and White attended as spectators and declined comment.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.