Supreme Court Issues Ruling in Man’s Jan. 6 Case

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(Conservative Hub.com) – The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in favor of Joseph Fischer, who was at the January 6, 2021 Capitol incident and found guilty under a federal “obstruction” statute. The court argued that the statute, which criminalizes the corrupt alteration or destruction of objects intended for use in official proceedings, was applied too broadly by lower courts to encompass peaceful but disruptive behavior.

Fischer was one of hundreds of people charged with obstruction for their roles in the riot, with his legal team asserting that the rule had traditionally been used solely in evidence-tampering scenarios. The Justice Department contended that Fischer’s actions aimed to halt Congress’s certification of the past election’s results, a direct interference with an official proceeding.

Chief Justice John Roberts criticized the government’s expansive interpretation of the statute, emphasizing that the statute should not render its text as “mere surplusage” and that in order to find someone guilty, the government must prove actual or attempted impairment of items used in the proceedings.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her concurring opinion, highlighted the need to precisely define the prohibited conduct under the criminal statute. She indicated that if Fischer’s actions involved impairment as alleged, his prosecution could continue under this statute, a matter now left to lower courts to reassess.

The dissenting opinion, led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, argued that the court’s decision inappropriately narrowed the statute, overlooking Congress’s intent for broader applicability.

Attorney General Merrick Garland wasn’t thrilled about the ruling but assured that it would not significantly impact most of the cases arising from the January 6 events. The case will head back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for further consideration under the Supreme Court’s less expansive interpretation of the law.

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