Source: USA Today
“The Supreme Court grappled Tuesday with the breadth of obstruction charges filed against one-fourth of the defendants from the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, including former President Donald Trump. Prosecutors have applied a 2002 law adopted in the wake of a financial scandal so broadly that even peaceful protesters could face 20 years in prison if the government’s interpretation is allowed to stand, Jeffrey Green, a lawyer for Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer, told the court. Green urged the justices to interpret the law narrowly, applying it only to the destruction of documents, and to avoid turning ‘a catchall provision into a dragnet.’ If the high court sides with the Fischer, a former Pennsylvania police officer, hundreds of people convicted or facing trial for entering the Capitol on Jan. 6 could see their top felony charge dismissed − a victory for those defendants and for supporters, including Trump, who say they were unfairly targeted.” (04/16/24)