Amid ongoing criminal proceedings for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Larry Giberson ’23 graduated alongside fellow members of the Class of 2023.
On April 18, he pleaded not guilty to 6 violations of U.S. code, including civil disorder and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds.
Spotted at various graduation events, Giberson was awarded an A.B. degree in Politics at the University’s commencement ceremony on May 30. He also received certificates in Values and Public Life and French.
Giberson confirmed to The Daily Princetonian that he received his degree from the University. He additionally noted that the University has not reached out to him, in any capacity, regarding his case.
The University declined to comment on Giberson’s graduation.
Giberson’s case has been a topic of discussion since his arrest by the FBI in March. During Class Day remarks, one of the student speakers, Gavin LaPlace ’23, alluded to the controversy. “Some of us actually made national news,” LaPlace joked, “I guess you can say we’re taking the country by storm!”
Some students turned to social media to express their frustration with Giberson’s graduation from the University.
Mary Elizabeth Marquardt ’23 tweeted, “[Y]ou’re telling me the insurrectionist graduated with a certificate in VALUES AND PUBLIC LIFE ?!”
It might be a while until a decision is made on the case. During his April 18 arraignment, Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt and Giberson’s defense attorney, Charles Burnham, indicated they would work towards negotiating a plea offer, setting a status conference for June 15.
Since the events of Jan. 6, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested just over 1,000 Americans in relation to their alleged attempt to halt the certification of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. On the second anniversary of the riot earlier this year, Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized the Justice Department's (DOJ) efforts as “one of the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history.”
Giberson is not the only college student who has been arrested for crimes related to Jan. 6. In March of 2021, former UCLA student Christian Secor made national headlines after he was arrested for participating in the riot. His lawyer’s brief notes that he was suspended by UCLA, and he did not graduate. In Oct. 2022, Secor was sentenced to over three years in prison.
Secor’s case differs from Giberson’s case significantly in terms of the severity of the allegations. Secor made it to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and to the Senate floor.
Defendants who have been found guilty for their involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot with charges and location in the Capitol similar to Giberson have seen upwards of one to five years of prison time and thousands of dollars in fines. As of now, only one individual charged by the DOJ has been acquitted of their charges at trial.
When arrested in March, Giberson confirmed the individual present in photos at the Capitol was him.
University policy allows for a degree to be withheld post-graduation because of misconduct while an undergraduate. Recently, the University withheld degrees of students ruled responsible for hazing at a fraternity.
For now, Giberson’s future is up in the air. In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ he remarked on his post-grad plans.
“At the moment, I’m just pursuing some personal passion projects and taking some time for myself, looking for a definitive conclusion to this chapter of my life before moving onto the next,” he wrote.
Eden Teshome is head Podcast editor and a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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