Supreme Court says obstruction charges for January 6 rioters could be thrown out…here’s how it will impact Trump’s election interference case
The Supreme Court ruled there are limits to charging Jan. 6 rioters, in a case that will have implications for former President Trump’s 2020 federal election interference case.
The 6-3 decision could upend hundreds of cases arising from the Jan. 6 riot, including Donald Trump’s election fraud case.
The court ruling makes it harder for the January 6 suspects to be charged with obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
That’s one of four charges against former President Donald Trump in special counsel Jack Smith’s federal case.
The decision is poised to upend hundreds of cases stemming from the Jan. 6 riot, including the election fraud case against Donald Trump.
At least 152 people have been convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
In total, charges have been filed against about 350 people accused of trying to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
The case was brought by former Boston police officer Joseph Fischer, who was indicted on seven charges after the six-count riot, including one count of each person “corruptly… obstructing, influencing or impeding any official proceeding.”
Judge John Roberts, who wrote the opinion Friday, limited the “obstruction of Congress” charge used by the federal government to prosecute the Jan. 6 suspects.
Roberts called the law, which carries a 20-year prison sentence, “one of the harshest possible sentences.”
A broad interpretation of the law “would also criminalize a wide range of prosaic behavior, putting activists and lobbyists at risk of decades in prison,” Roberts continued.
Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, and were joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
A lower court dismissed the charges after Fischer’s lawyers argued he had not attempted to tamper with documents or data.
Federal prosecutors appealed, and a three-judge panel in the D.C. Circuit upheld the charges.
Trump is charged by the special counsel with four counts: conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction and attempted obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to defraud the United States; and conspiracy to deprive citizens of their right to vote.
Trump has denied these charges, as well as dozens of other charges stemming from three other criminal prosecutions.
His trial has been postponed until the Supreme Court rules whether he is immune from prosecution.
The decision comes because Trump is facing criminal charges in three criminal cases and has already been found guilty Last month, 34 cases of corporate data falsification were identified in New York.
He is the first former president ever convicted of a crime.
At least 152 people have been convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
During oral arguments that raised some wild hypotheticals, the justices appeared to reject granting presidents absolute immunity, but their questioning suggested they could delay Trump’s trial while he runs for president for a third time .
Trump faces four charges from the special counsel: conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction or attempted obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to defraud the United States; and conspiracy to deprive citizens of their right to vote.
Liberal judges were concerned that ruling presidents would have full immunity, which would amount to nothing more than creating a king who could have the power to stage a military coup or assassinate political opponents.
Conservative justices indicated they wanted to provide at least some legal safeguards to protect Trump and future presidents from political prosecution.