Justice Served: The Long Road to Accountability for Political Violence

A man who once ran for office has been sentenced to a long time in prison. Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate, was given 80 years behind bars. This is because he was found guilty of some serious crimes. He was involved in shootings at the homes of political leaders in Albuquerque. These attacks happened after the 2020 election. Peña believed that the election was not fair. He thought that violence would help him change the political scene. Prosecutors said he wanted to scare people who had different views from him. They wanted him to get 90 years, but the judge gave him 80. Peña's lawyers said he is not guilty. They think the real culprits are two men who made deals with prosecutors. These men got shorter sentences for helping Peña. The lawyers say Peña will fight to prove his innocence. The shootings happened during a time when many public officials were being threatened. This was after some people questioned the results of the 2020 election. Peña lost his election by a lot, but he did not take it well. He targeted leaders who had certified the election results. Luckily, no one was hurt, but one bullet came very close to a child's room. Two other men have already been sentenced for their roles in the attacks. They admitted their guilt and got prison time. The judge's decision is a step towards justice, but the story is far from over.