The leaders of the rightwing militia in Oregon could spend more years in prison than the two ranchers whose prosecution and imprisonment inspired the occupation.

Days after law enforcement officials arrested protest leader Ammon Bundy and shot and killed militiaman LaVoy Finicum, 11 people associated with the occupation are behind bars, facing federal felony charges and possible six-year prison sentences.

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“The primary goal here is to reassert the rule of law and try to avoid copycat occupations,” said David Hayes, a visiting lecturer at Stanford Law School and former deputy secretary of the US Department of the Interior.

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The federal government also probably wants a simple case with minimal drama, making it further advantageous to charge leaders who have made damning public statements. “It’s important the prosecution proceed quickly … to a resolution,” Hayes said. “Let’s not have a legal show here … Let’s just show that the courts have a role to play and the rule of law means something.”

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