Capitol riot defendant was 'weeping' in court as his lawyer said he was a 'victim' of Trump's lies: report

On Tuesday, WHAM reported that a New York man "wept" at his detention hearing for his alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot.

"Cody Mattice sat quietly weeping in court Tuesday, his head down, resting on the table in front of him, only lifting it to whisper to his attorney," said the report. "The 28-year-old is accused of taking part in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Prosecutor Brett Harvey said he has enough evidence to put him away for at least 20 years.

Mattice was arrested in Hilton, New York last week, with the help of internet sleuths who knew him as "Cody from Rochester." He allegedly helped break down barriers at the Capitol and pepper-sprayed Capitol Police officers to allow others to break through the line.

At the center of the case are text messages that Mattice and fellow rioters sent to each other in which they confessed to committing multiple crimes during the January 6th riots.

One text message from Mattice boasted that "we took the capital, bro ... I yanked the gates from the cops. I also maced a cop." Another text from Mattice justified his participation in the riots by saying that "Trump told us to because of the fraud."

Mattice's defense attorney, Wendy Abdallah, cited that last text message to argue that her client and his allies "are victims of our president - our former president."

Mattice's hearing comes as many other rioters, like just-sentenced Indiana hairdresser Dona Bissey, have begged for leniency. According to NBC4 Washington reporter Scott MacFarlane, however, there are signs that judges plan to throw the book at many remaining defendants even if they cooperate.