Supreme Court Supports Jan 6 Rioter in Obstruction Case Appeal

(ProsperNews.net) – The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Joseph Fischer, convicted of obstructing an official proceeding on January 6, and said the statute used against him was misinterpreted. Mr. Fischer challenged his conviction, and his lawyers argued that the law, which criminalizes anyone who “alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object’s integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding” has only been utilized in evidence-tampering cases.

The ruling overturned a lower court’s decision and declared that the legislation had been interpreted too broadly. The case will be returned to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals for reassessment.

Prosecutors contended that the conduct of the roughly 300 people convicted under the same statute was legitimate because the law refers to obstruction of official proceedings. Nevertheless, defense attorneys argued that the Justice Department had overstepped its authority and relied on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, intended to apply to offenses involving the concealment or destruction of evidence.

Chief Justice John Roberts determined that prosecutors had attempted to transform the statute into a “one-size-fits-all solution to obstruction of justice.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed disappointment at the decision, saying it limited a crucial federal statute. Donald Trump, however, celebrated and declared that the court had done the right thing.

Justice Department prosecutors claimed that Mr. Fischer joined a group of protestors as they attempted to breach barriers and gain access to Capitol buildings on January 6. He allegedly shouted “charge” as the group advanced toward a police line. He then appealed to the officers, telling them he was a law enforcement colleague.

Fischer was a serving officer with the North Cornwall Township Police Department in Pennsylvania at the time, and in February 2021, the FBI arrested him at his home. Prosecutors subsequently charged him with obstruction of law enforcement, entering a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and obstruction of justice.