Unprecedented legal victory for Capitol rioter Joseph Fischer challenges Trump administration’s interpretation of criminal law
A Pennsylvania man, Joseph Fischer, has won a landmark legal battle against charges brought against him in connection with the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The ruling has significant implications for hundreds of Trump supporters who participated in the storming of the Capitol, including former President Donald Trump himself.
The case known as Fischer v. United States centered on the interpretation of criminal law rather than a constitutional issue. Following FBI investigations, over 1,400 rioters were charged with crimes such as assaulting police officers and possessing weapons. Additionally, over 350 Trump supporters who breached the Congress building were charged with obstructing an official parliamentary procedure related to the certification of Joe Biden’s election by Congress.
Joseph Fischer, a former Pennsylvania police officer involved in the Capitol attack, successfully challenged the obstruction of justice charge against him in a District Court in Washington DC. After an appeals court overturned his conviction, Fischer appealed to the Supreme Court which agreed to hear his case.
The prosecution had relied on a section of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act passed in 2002 after the Enron scandal which criminalizes actions like obstructing official proceedings. However, Fischer’s lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that this law was intended to protect evidence in investigations and not to criminalize actions like those of the Capitol rioters.
As a result of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Fischer’s case, charges related to obstruction of justice have been dropped from trials involving more than 350 Capitol rioters. This decision will likely lead to reduced sentences for those already convicted and dismissal of charges pending cases. The implications for Donald Trump’s criminal trial related to the Capitol attack remain uncertain as well since he could face up to 20 years maximum sentence under this law.
Overall this ruling marks a significant victory for those challenging charges brought against them in connection with events leading up to January 6th attack on Capitol Hill.
