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Was a 71-year-old great-grandmother prosecuted 'for simply praying at the Capitol on January 6th'?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

On April 4, 2024, Rebecca Lavrenz was found guilty by a Washington, D.C., jury of four misdemeanor crimes in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.

The charges were: entering and remaining, and disorderly conduct, in a restricted building; and disorderly conduct and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

An Army officer said in a court document Lavrenz was among “rioters who unlawfully entered the Capitol” to disrupt a congressional session. He said Lavrenz admitted she passed barriers to gain entry.

Lavrenz, 71, a great-grandmother from Colorado, maintained she was prosecuted for “praying in the Capitol Building for less than 10 minutes.”

The claim that Lavrenz was prosecuted for praying was made April 4 on social media by conservative political consultant Alex Bruesewitz, who has teased he will run for the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, who represents the Green Bay area.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
The Gazette Verdict: Colorado Springs-area resident found guilty on all charges in Capitol breach trial in D.C.
US Department of Justice Complaint; Statement of Facts
X Rebecca Lavrenz post
X Alex Bruesewitz post
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.