Known on social media as the "J6 Praying Grandma," Lavrenz faced four misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and parading or picketing in the Capitol.
The arrest of Lavrenz took place on December 19, 2022, in Denver, following tips received by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that implicated her in the Capitol breach. During her interview with federal authorities, Lavrenz confessed to spending approximately 10 minutes inside the Capitol building. Surveillance footage substantiated her account, showing Lavrenz, distinguishable in a red scarf, among the crowd of protestors.
Lavrenz has consistently maintained that her presence at the Capitol was solely for prayer. She stated, "The whole reason I went to the Capitol was to pray. I didn’t get into this for myself, I was there to stand up for my country. God led me to go there and into the building to stand up for my First Amendment rights to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
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Following her five-hour testimony on Monday, the jury began deliberations at 4:45 p.m., adjourned at 5:30 p.m., and resumed deliberations throughout Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday. Lavrenz was called back multiple times to clarify certain points. The final verdict was announced late Thursday afternoon after nearly 26 hours of deliberation by the 12-member jury.
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Reflecting on the deliberation process, Lavrenz said, "The deliberation was good because obviously at least one person on the jury was fighting for me, and many people have been convicted in the first hour."
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Throughout the trial, Lavrenz expressed no regrets about her actions, asserting that she believed she was on a mission from God. Her defense attorney, Roger Roots, expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating their intention to appeal the convictions. Roots stated, "Unfortunately, the Court instructed the jury that the First Amendment provided no defense whatsoever for Rebecca at the U.S. Capitol. We believe the instructions were improper and we intend to appeal her convictions. We are very disappointed in the verdict."
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Lavrenz now faces a potential sentence of up to a year in prison, along with fines exceeding $200,000.
Former President Donald Trump, on Friday, wrote about Lavrenz on Truth Social, describing her as "peaceful" and a "patriot," who had been "unfairly targeted" by Biden's Justice Department. Trump, who was attending a record-breaking fundraiser for the Trump 47 Committee on the same day, shared a link to a fundraiser for Lavrenz.
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Trump wrote, "Rebecca Lavrenz, also known as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” has been unfairly targeted by Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, and now faces up to 1 YEAR in prison for peacefully walking around the Capitol, and praying for our Failing Nation on January 6th! Rebecca is a 72-year-old Grandmother and Small Business Owner from Colorado, and now she is one of Joe Biden’s J6 HOSTAGES!!! Crooked Joe Biden spends more time prosecuting Patriots like Rebecca, AND ME, than Violent Criminals, Thugs, Murderers, and ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS who are destroying our Country. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST. MAGA2024!"
Prior to Trump sharing the fundraising link, Lavrenz had raised nearly $32,000 as of Thursday to help with her legal expenses. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 12.
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