Home » Federal Prosecutors Begin Dropping Jan. 6 Obstruction Charges After Supreme Court Ruling

Federal Prosecutors Begin Dropping Jan. 6 Obstruction Charges After Supreme Court Ruling

Supreme Court justices ruled that charges brought under the obstruction law must meet certain criteria.

SupremeCourtjusticesruledthatchargesbroughtundertheobstructionlawmustmeetcertaincriteria. U.S.prosecutorshavestarteddroppingobstructionchargesagainstdefendantsallegedtohavebeeninvolvedintheJan.6,2021,breachoftheU.S.Capitol,inthewakeofacrucialSupremeCourtdecision. Governmentprosecutorsinformeddefendantsandthejudgeoverseeingthedefendants’casesthatitwilldropchargesbroughtunderfederallawSection1512(c)(2)inlightoftherulingfromthenation’stopcourt,accordingtoaJuly15filing. “Thisdecisionwasmadeinordertoavoiddisruptiontothetrialscheduleforafive-defendantcase,andthedismissaleliminatestheneedforadditionallitigationastothesufficiencyoftheSection1512chargeasappliedtothesedefendants,”theprosecutorstoldthejudge. ProsecutorsinaseparateJan.6casesaidonJuly11thattheyweredroppingthesameobstructionchargeagainstdefendantMarkSahadyafterthejudgeorderedthegovernmenttoparticipateinabriefingontheeffectsoftheSu