Massachusetts Doctor Gets Prison Time for Jan. 6 Riot Incident- Apologizes to Officer!
A doctor from Ashland, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to nine months in prison for her role in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Dr. Jacquelyn Starer, who pleaded guilty to attacking a police officer during the incident, will also serve nine months of home confinement following her sentencing in federal court in Washington, D.C.
During her court appearance, Starer expressed deep remorse for her actions. “I am not proud of what I did, including the regrettable encounter with the officer,” she told U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly. Starter accepted full responsibility for her behavior and wished she had acted more rationally.
The police officer whom Starer assaulted also addressed the court. The officer, identified only by initials in court documents, recounted the fear and danger she felt while defending the Capitol from the mob of Donald Trump supporters. She questioned Starer’s genuine remorse, asking if Starer truly took responsibility or was merely using it as an excuse.
Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of two years and three months for Starer. However, her defense team argued for home confinement instead of prison. In April, Starer had admitted guilt to two felony counts: civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. She also pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors, including entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and violence in the Capitol.
Prosecutors noted that Starer participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6, 2021, and was among the group that breached the Capitol through the East Rotunda Doors.
Bodycam footage from a Metro police officer showed Starer punching an officer in the Capitol Rotunda. The officer recognized Starer from the footage and described the incident in court.
At the time of her arrest in December 2022, Starer was a practicing doctor at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. The hospital confirmed that she was no longer active with them following her arrest.
Starer, who had previously served as president of the Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine, had a clean disciplinary record until this incident. As of January 2023, Starer agreed not to practice medicine in Massachusetts, where she had held a medical license since 1983.