A man who was among a group of self-described anti-fascists charged in connection with a Pacific Beach protest that broke out into brawls was sentenced Tuesday to two years in state prison.
Jesse Merel Cannon, 33, is the second defendant to be sentenced in the prosecution of 11 people in connection with violence that erupted at a Jan. 9, 2021, “Patriot March” protest organized by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Of the 11 originally charged, three defendants are set to go to trial next month. The remaining defendants have either been sentenced or pleaded guilty and await sentencing, which is expected to happen this summer.
On Tuesday, Cannon was sentenced to two years in prison on conspiracy and assault charges in connection with the protest.
He was also sentenced to a consecutive three-year prison term for an unrelated assault with a deadly weapon case. Prosecutors declined to comment on the specifics of that case but said it occurred on a later date.
Attorneys representing other defendants in the case have alleged that prosecutors have ignored violent acts committed by pro-Trump members at the protest.
The District Attorney’s Office has said in prior public statements that “video evidence analysis shows that overwhelmingly the violence in this incident was perpetrated by the Antifa affiliates and was not a mutual fray with both sides crossing out of lawful First Amendment expression into riot and violence.”
Curtis Briggs, who represents one of the people set to go to trial next month, alleged that District Attorney Summer Stephan’s office showed bias by prosecuting only anti-fascists and last year sought to disqualify her office from prosecuting the case. San Diego Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein, who will preside over the trial, denied the request last fall.
