January 6 defendant receives first reduced sentence after Supreme Court ruling

Aformer Virginia police officer on Wednesday became the first January 6 defendant to receive a reduced sentence after the Supreme Court narrowed the scope of an obstruction charge used against Jan. 6 rioters.

The Supreme Court in June made it more difficult to charge the defendants with obstruction but charges can still be brought if prosecutors can prove that rioters were intentionally trying to stop the arrival of certificates used to certify electoral votes during the riot.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper re-sentenced Thomas Robertson in his January 6 case to six years in prison, instead of just over seven years, per NBC News. Robertson was convicted on six charges in 2022, but prosecutors moved to dismiss the obstruction charge on Wednesday.