Supreme Court's Jan. 6 ruling unlikely to derail Trump's case
The ruling triggered activity in other Capitol rioters' cases to revisit the obstruction charge, but it's unlikely to derail Trump's election interference case.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's ruling Friday in favor of a Jan. 6 defendant charged with obstruction of an official proceeding quickly triggered activity to revisit that charge in other Capitol rioter cases, but it's unlikely to derail former President Donald Trump's federal election interference case.
Justice Department officials and attorneys for Jan. 6 defendants said the court's 6-3 ruling in the case involving former Pennsylvania police officer Joseph Fischer would not have an immediate effect on most of the 1,000-plus convictions secured by prosecutors.
The court's decision is poised to have the biggest impact on the 52 rioters who were convicted and sentenced on an obstruction charge and no other felony offense. There are currently 27 defendants serving a prison sentence solely on a felony obstruction charge.
"There are no cases in which the Department charged a January 6 defendant only with the offense at issue in Fischer," Attorney General Merrick Garland noted in a statement on Friday.
All defendants charged with obstruction faced other charges; the 52 who faced only the obstruction felony charge also faced misdemeanor charges in connection with efforts to disrupt congressional certification of President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
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