SONG AND DANCE

Thespian-Turned-Capitol Rioter Acquitted of Jan. 6 Charges

James Beeks played Judas in a national tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” prior to entering the Capitol building with the Oath Keepers on Jan. 6.

A former actor who stormed the U.S. Capitol building with the Oath Keepers on Jan. 6, 2021, was acquitted Wednesday on all charges related to the riot. James Beeks, 49, played Judas in the national touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar before his 2021 arrest, and told reporters on Tuesday that he’d “do a song and dance right there” if he got acquitted. He was tried alongside co-defendant Donovan Crowl, an Oath Keeper, who wasn’t as lucky as Beeks. Crowl was convicted on conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and civil disorder, while Beeks was let off the hook after his attorney argued that he was merely an Oath Keeper “wannabe” unaware of their broader goal to stop the transfer of power to Joe Biden. “If he didn’t know what others intended, he couldn’t intend to do it,” Beeks’ attorney Greg Hunter argued.