Topics: Film and TV, Game of Thrones, US News, Donald Trump, Politics
Prosecutors have used a quote from HBO’s Game of Thrones in their case against one of the people involved in the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021.
Jeremiah Caplinger has already pleaded guilty to one count of stepping on, climbing, removing or injuring property on the grounds of the US Capitol last year, and he’s set to be sentenced for his crimes next month.
However, court documents reportedly show that the prosecution used a social media post – in which Caplinger posted a quote from Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones – to form part of their case against him.
You can watch the clip in question below:
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Prosecutors argue that Caplinger's use of the phrase ‘I choose violence’ shows he had criminal intent.
He shared an image of a soldier of the American Revolution along with a caption that stated: 'As said by [Cersei] Lannister ‘I choose violence'.'
That line comes from a season six episode of the show, titled ‘No One’.
In the scene, Lannister, played by Lena Headey, is confronted by agents of the religious order led by the High Sparrow and warned that non-compliance would lead to violence.
They told her ‘there will be violence’ if she didn’t yield, but Lannister wasn’t prepared to back down. 'I choose violence,' she said.
In their filing submitted to the court, per Insider, the prosecutors tasked with the case of Caplinger wrote: 'In stating, ‘I choose violence’, Cersei Lannister embraced – and then carried out – mass murder to achieve her political ends.'
'In the context of Caplinger posting this just two days after Jan. 6, Caplinger’s adoption of this quote is alarming and provides insight into his mental state and intent in storming the Capitol,' they added.
The document also went on to note that Cersei Lannister utilised ‘a weapon of mass destruction to blow up one of the largest and most important buildings in the capital city’ and that the building – the Great Sept of Baelor, for the GoT fans out there – was full of ‘politicians and religious leaders’ at the time.
Those prosecuting the case argued that his use of this particular phrase in the context of his involvement with the Capitol rioting – which saw around 2,000 to 2,500 supporters of former President Donald Trump storm the building by force – proved that he intended to commit criminal acts on that day.
After his guilty plea, Caplinger is set to be sentenced on February 1 and faces up to six months in prison.
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