The Courtā€™s decision could potentially undermine over 300 January 6 prosecutions, including Trumpā€™s.

According to the Justice Department, Joseph Fischer texted his boss before the January 6 insurrection to tell him that he might need to post bail. The accused insurrectionist also allegedly warned that the protest at the US Capitol ā€œmight get violent,ā€ and he allegedly wrote that ā€œthey should storm the capital and drag all the democrates [sic] into the street and have a mob trial.ā€

When the day of the insurrection came,Ā Fischer allegedly yelled ā€œCharge!ā€Ā before running and crashing into a line of police inside the Capitol. The Justice Department says that video footage ā€œshows at least one police officer on the ground after [Fischerā€™s] assault.ā€ Fischer was only in the Capitol for four minutes, according to the DOJ, before he was ā€œforcibly removed.ā€

Fischer was arrested after the FBI identified him based on a video he posted onĀ Facebook that showed him inside the Capitol on January 6.

More than three years later, however, Fischer has yet to be tried. The criminal proceeding against him has been tied up in appeals after a Trump-appointed trial judge ruled that one of the criminal laws Fischer is charged with violating must be read very narrowly. That ruling is now being reviewed by theĀ Supreme Court, in a case calledĀ Fischer v. United States.

The Supreme Court will hear this case next month.

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I think Iā€™m missing something. So the insurrectionists, yell ā€œchargeā€ as if in battle and say to pull all the Democrats out into the street and have a mob trial, but what theyā€™re being charged with is interfering with a government proceeding? Like thatā€™s the only thing wrong here?

    • Ajen@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      Youā€™re missing something. Heā€™s being charged with breaking multiple laws, not just ā€œinterfering with a government proceeding.ā€

      The criminal proceeding against him has been tied up in appeals after a Trump-appointed trial judge ruled that one of the criminal laws Fischer is charged with violating must be read very narrowly.

      But only one of those charges is being contested. The Supreme Court gets to decide if heā€™ll be tried on that charge, but it sounds like heā€™ll be tied on the other charges regardless of what the Supreme Court decides. The headline is sensational, but what else would you expect from Vox?

        • Ajen@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          I donā€™t blame you, the article really overplayed that one charge. I bet they had great ā€œengagement,ā€ though.