Q: According to media reports, there are a number of people arrested for unlawful, destructive and violent protests. What are the penalties that can be assessed to these people, and what penalties are typically given?
—Ken Kittrell, Flowery Branch
A: The answer would ultimately depend upon what they were charged with upon their arrest, and whether that charge was a felony or misdemeanor.
For example, when Inauguration Day protests in Washington, D.C., turned violent, D.C. police initially arrested about 230 people and charged them with felony rioting.
According to a Jan. 22 Washington Post article, police said “protesters went on a well-planned, four-square-block rampage through downtown with hammers and crowbars, breaking store and car windows, setting a vehicle on fire and causing destruction estimated to be in excess of $100,000.”
The paper reported that prosecutors justified the felony charge based on the estimated damage.
If convicted, a criminal charge of felony rioting in Washington, D.C., carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
Q: Does Michelle Obama get a paid staff after she leaves the White House?
—Francis Russy, Peachtree City
A: The former first lady plans to hire a small staff, including Melissa Winter, her deputy chief of staff, and use office space in Washington D.C., the Washington Post reported last month.
“The family will also need income, to support themselves as well as the post-White House staffs they are building,” the article stated.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Keith Still contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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