Former Broadway Actor James Beeks Acquitted Of Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Charges
12.07.2023 - 22:53
/ deadline.com
Stage actor James Beeks has been acquitted of all charges stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6th Capitol riots, with U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta concluding today at a Washington, D.C. courthouse that there was no evidence suggesting Beeks knew of plans to obstruct Congress.
Beeks, who was arrested in November 2021 while on tour portraying Judas in a road company of Jesus Christ Superstar, had traveled to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 after reading online messages posted by the right-wing group Oath Keepers. The 49-year-old actor’s attorney Greg Hunter said Beeks was not aware of the group’s intentions. “If he didn’t know what others intended, he couldn’t intend to do it,” Hunter said, according to reports.
In his ruling today, Judge Mehta cited a lack of evidence that Beeks knowingly took part in planning the attack. The actor is no longer a member of the Oath Keepers and has said he went to Washington on a whim; he was acquitted on charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder. Previous charges had already been dropped.
Outside the Washington, D.C. courthouse today, Beeks said in a brief statement, “I made a mistake. It has ruined my reputation, especially in the entertainment industry that I worked so hard to build. I was at the apex of my career.”
Beeks, who sometimes used the stage names James Delisco Beeks and James T. Justis, has appeared on Broadway in the musicals Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Ragime, Aida and Kinky Boots.
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