Supreme Court ruling casts doubt on hundreds of Jan 6 cases

The court narrows the use of an obstruction charge brought against hundreds of people over the 2021 Capitol riot.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersSupreme Court casts doubt on hundreds of Jan 6 cases22 hours agoBy Mike Wendling, BBC NewsShareReutersTrump spoke to the rioters before they marched on the CapitolFederal prosecutors overreached when using an obstruction law to charge hundreds of January 6 rioters, the Supreme Court has ruled in an opinion that could also affect a case against Donald Trump.

The justices ruled that obstruction charges must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents.

More than 350 people have been charged with obstructing Congress’ business - the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The law that prosecutors used was passed in 2002, after the Enron scandal, to stop corporate misconduct.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act outlines criminal penalties for anyone who "alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object", and another clause includes anyone who "otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c199l00gmmvo

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