{"id":2054682,"date":"2023-10-04T01:27:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T05:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/challenges-to-jan-6-obstruction-of-congress-prosecutions-pile-up-at-us-supreme-court\/"},"modified":"2023-10-04T01:32:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T05:32:11","slug":"challenges-to-jan-6-obstruction-of-congress-prosecutions-pile-up-at-us-supreme-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/challenges-to-jan-6-obstruction-of-congress-prosecutions-pile-up-at-us-supreme-court\/","title":{"rendered":"US Supreme Court faces mounting challenges to Jan. 6 Obstruction of Congress prosecutions."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchallenges-to-jan-6-obstruction-of-congress-prosecutions-pile-up-at-us-supreme-court%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2054682&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The U.S. Department \u200bof \u2063Justice&#8217;s Use of Evidence-Tampering Statute in Jan. 6 Cases Faces Constitutional Challenge<\/h2>\n<p>A new Supreme Court \u2062filing argues that the evidence-tampering statute being used by\u2063 the U.S. Department of Justice\u200b to prosecute Jan. 6 defendants \u2064is \u2063unconstitutionally broad and interferes with First Amendment free speech. \u2064The filing claims that prosecutors have &#8220;unbridled, standardless discretion to effectively make up their\u2062 own law.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The challenge to the use of the law, brought by Jan. 6 defendant Edward Jacob Lang, argues that the statute\u200c violates the Constitution.\u2062 Lang, along with 317 other defendants and former \u2063President Donald Trump, has been charged with corruptly obstructing an official proceeding. This charge\u2063 carries a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elizabeth-holmes-seeks-to-avoid-prison-for-theranos-fraud\/\" title=\"Elizabeth Holmes Seeks to Avoid Prison for Theranos Fraud\">maximum 20-year prison term<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>3 \u200cMore Jan. 6 Defendants Ask Supreme Court to Review Widely Charged Obstruction Felony<\/h3>\n<p>9\/18\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>EXCLUSIVE: Jan.\u2063 6 Prisoner\u2063 Takes His Obstruction Charge to the Supreme\u2063 Court<\/h3>\n<p>7\/15\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>A new amicus curiae brief filed by the FormerFedsGroup Freedom\u200c Foundation argues that the evidence-tampering law gives prosecutors too much\u200d power. The brief states that the \u2063law &#8220;means whatever a\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/challenges-to-jan-6-obstruction-of-congress-prosecutions-pile-up-at-us-supreme-court\/\" title=\"US Supreme Court faces mounting challenges to Jan. 6 Obstruction of Congress prosecutions.\">creative \u2064prosecutor lacking caution wishes<\/a> it to mean.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Legal researcher Jonathon Moseley warns that the DOJ&#8217;s use of the obstruction law is dangerous and could lead to the suppression of citizens&#8217; rights. He emphasizes the need for the Supreme Court to intervene \u2062and check the DOJ&#8217;s expansion \u2064of prosecutorial power.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Partisan Application?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The FormerFedsGroup brief \u200bhighlights \u200dthe uneven application of the law, suggesting that it may \u200cbe influenced by partisan politics. \u2063The brief points out instances where similar \u200bacts were treated differently \u200dbased\u2063 on political alignment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Other \u200bLaws Apply<\/h2>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The brief\u200c argues that the conduct of Jan. 6 protesters is already covered by other federal statutes, making the use of the evidence-tampering law unnecessary. It questions the meaning of the term &#8220;corruptly&#8221; in the statute and raises concerns about the chilling effect on free\u200d speech.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the Department of Justice&#8217;s interpretation and application \u2063of the \u2064evidence-tampering statute potentially infringe on\u200c the rights of the\u200d accused?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Own \u200crules&#8221; when it \u200bcomes to tampering with evidence, leading\u2062 to potential abuses of power and \u200cinfringement \u200bon the rights of the \u200caccused.<\/p>\n<p>The evidence-tampering statute, codified under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 1512(c)(2), is designed to prevent the obstruction \u200cof justice by\u200b individuals who manipulate or \u200calter evidence in order to \u2064hinder an investigation or prosecution. However, according to the Supreme Court filing, the Department of Justice&#8217;s interpretation and application of this statute in the Jan. 6 cases \u2063raises serious concerns regarding its constitutionality.<\/p>\n<p>The crux of the argument made\u200d in the filing revolves\u2064 around the alleged broadness of the \u2064statute and its potential to interfere with the First\u2063 Amendment right to free speech. The filing contends that the statute lacks clear and narrow guidelines, thus granting prosecutors \u2062excessive\u2064 discretion in determining what constitutes evidence tampering. This, in turn, \u200bcreates an \u2063environment where prosecutors can manipulate\u200d the law to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heritage-sues-biden-administration-for-info-on-parent-groups-extremist-label\/\" title=\"Heritage sues Biden admin for parent group's 'extremist' label info.\">suppress dissenting opinions<\/a> and punish individuals for\u200c exercising their right to express themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the Supreme Court \u2063filing \u200dhighlights the\u200d potential for abuse \u200din granting \u200bprosecutors unchecked power \u200bto interpret and enforce the \u2064evidence-tampering statute. By allowing\u200b prosecutors to essentially &#8220;make up their\u200d own\u2063 rules,&#8221; defendants may face unjust charges or excessively harsh penalties\u200d based\u2063 on the whims and biases of \u200bprosecutors, rather than a fair and impartial legal \u2062process.<\/p>\n<p>The Jan. 6 cases\u2062 have already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/defendant-requesting-speedy-trial-in-trump-election-case-pleads-not-guilty\/\" title=\"Defendant in Trump election case pleads not guilty, seeks speedy trial.\">garnered significant attention due<\/a> to their connection to the Capitol riots, which shook the very foundations of American democracy. While it is\u200b crucial to hold those responsible for the violence accountable,\u2064 it is equally important to ensure that the legal process adheres\u200c to constitutional principles and safeguards individual\u200d rights.<\/p>\n<p>The filing also argues that the expansive interpretation\u200c of the evidence-tampering statute contravenes the principle of vagueness, a longstanding\u2062 constitutional doctrine that requires laws to provide adequate notice \u200bof prohibited conduct. According\u200b to the filing, the \u200clack of clear guidelines within the statute \u200copens the door \u200dfor overreach and\u2062 arbitrary\u200d enforcement, \u200cthreatening \u200bthe fair administration of justice.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the constitutional challenge, \u2064the filing calls on the Supreme \u200bCourt to establish precise standards and limitations for the\u200c evidence-tampering statute. This, it claims, would prevent the potential abuses and constitutional infringements that \u200dare currently a concern in the Jan. 6 cases.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of this constitutional challenge could have far-reaching implications for the U.S. Department of Justice&#8217;s prosecution\u2062 of Jan.\u2064 6 defendants and its future use of the evidence-tampering statute. \u200dIt raises important questions\u200b about the balance between \u2064maintaining law and\u2062 order while preserving constitutionally protected rights.<\/p>\n<p>As this\u200d case unfolds, it will undoubtedly spark wider \u200ddiscussions about the scope of prosecutorial discretion, the protection of free speech, and the preservation of due process rights in the face of major national crises. The Supreme Court&#8217;s decision on this matter will not only impact the immediate Jan. 6 cases but also set a precedent for future prosecutions and the\u2064 overall functioning of the criminal justice system in America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court is reviewing a filing that argues the evidence-tampering statute employed by the US Department of Justice against Jan. 6 defendants is excessively broad, infringes on free speech rights, and grants prosecutors unchecked power to create their own laws. The constitutionality of this statute is under scrutiny.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":347,"featured_media":2054683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2054682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/347"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2054682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2054683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2054682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2054682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2054682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}