Capitol rioters’ social media posts influencing sentencings

FILE – Insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump riot outside the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. For many rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, self-incriminating messages, photos and videos that they broadcast on social media before, during and after the Jan. 6 insurrection are influencing even the sentences in their criminal cases. Among the biggest takeaways from the Justice Department’s prosecution of the Jan. 6 insurrection is how large a role social media has played, with much of the most damning evidence coming from rioters own words and videos. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) (John Minchillo/AP)