{"id":2340479,"date":"2024-09-13T03:17:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T07:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-drops-jan-6-obstruction-charges-in-more-than-half-of-pending-cases-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-13T03:21:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T07:21:46","slug":"doj-drops-jan-6-obstruction-charges-in-more-than-half-of-pending-cases-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-drops-jan-6-obstruction-charges-in-more-than-half-of-pending-cases-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ drops Jan. 6 obstruction charges in more than half of pending cases &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/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%2Fdoj-drops-jan-6-obstruction-charges-in-more-than-half-of-pending-cases-washington-examiner%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=2340479&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--><p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) has\u2062 recently dropped nearly half of the obstruction charges against defendants involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. This decision follows a significant Supreme Court ruling in June that determined the DOJ had been applying an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotus-hears-major-case-against-google-youtube-about-american-murdered-by-isis\/\" title=\"SCOTUS Hears Major Case Against Google, YouTube About American Murdered By ISIS\">overly broad interpretation<\/a> of a statute regarding corrupt obstruction of official proceedings. As a result, \u2064approximately 60 out \u2063of 126 defendants had their pending obstruction\u200c charges \u2063dismissed, significantly reducing the potential for severe prison sentences. <\/p>\n<p>Previously resolved cases have also been affected, \u200cwith the DOJ indicating it does not oppose dismissing\u200d charges in about 40 of those\u2062 cases. The recent DOJ data reveals a majority of violations under the \u200bobstruction statute, 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 1512(c)(2), are being dropped before trial. However, defendants will still face other criminal charges. The DOJ\u2062 is continuing to \u2063pursue obstruction charges for 13 defendants while evaluating others.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, \u2062following the\u2064 Supreme \u200bCourt&#8217;s decision, former Virginia police officer Thomas \u200cRobertson had his \u2063prison sentence\u2062 reduced\u200c from seven to six years. The Supreme Court\u2064 ruling\u2062 underscored that prosecutors must show that a defendant actually \u200cdisrupted the integrity of \u2064materials used in \u2064official proceedings to establish a violation of the obstruction statute.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DOJ drops Jan. 6 obstruction charges in more than half of pending cases<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1759502\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/biden-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Biden administration<\/a>&lsquo;s Department of Justice has dropped nearly half of the obstruction charges pending against defendants involved in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/january-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Jan. 6<\/a> Capitol riot following a significant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Supreme Court<\/a> ruling in June, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/covid-19-pandemic-drives-record-breaking-number-of-drug-overdoses\/\" title=\"COVID-19 Pandemic Drives \u2018Record Breaking\u2019 Number Of Drug Overdoses\">recent data<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>In June, the Supreme Court determined that the DOJ had applied an overly broad interpretation of a statute that imposes up to 20 years in prison for those who &ldquo;corruptly obstruct, influence, or impede any official proceeding.&rdquo; Since the ruling in <em>Fischer v. United States<\/em>, about 60 out of 126 defendants had their pending obstruction charges dismissed, according to DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>data<\/a> released last week, which significantly diminishes the threat of decades of jail time for the defendants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Violent insurrectionists breach the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo\/John Minchillo, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Of the 133 defendants whose cases were already resolved before the <em>Fischer<\/em> decision, the DOJ indicated it &ldquo;does not oppose dismissal or vacatur of the charge in approximately 40 cases&rdquo; while it continues to assess the rest.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ&rsquo;s recent data dump reflects the findings of a&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3122632\/doj-dropping-most-jan-6-obstruction-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investigation<\/a>&nbsp;last month that uncovered a majority of 18 U.S.C. &sect; 1512(c)(2) violations were being dropped before defendants head to trial. For many defendants, the charge amounted to the most severe violation they faced, as their cases otherwise featured lesser violations such as misdemeanor charges for trespassing or unlawful picketing.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials wrote in their data release brief that no defendant was charged solely under the obstruction count, meaning all defendants will still face other criminal charges even if the obstruction charge is dropped.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ is still pursuing obstruction charges for 13 defendants and evaluating its next steps for the remaining cases.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Official DOJ data on Supreme Court&rsquo;s impact of certain Jan. 6 cases. (Justice Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Last week, former Virginia police officer Thomas Robertson became the first defendant to have his sentence reduced by one year in light of the <em>Fischer <\/em>decision. He was initially sentenced to seven years in prison and is now serving six.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision emphasized that prosecutors must show that a defendant disrupted the &ldquo;availability or integrity&rdquo; of materials used in an official proceeding to prove a violation of the obstruction statute. <\/p>\n<p>Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ketanji-brown-jackson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Ketanji Brown Jackson<\/a>, an appointee of President Joe Biden, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3041195\/supreme-court-rules-against-biden-doj-in-high-stakes-jan-6-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>suggested<\/a> in a concurring opinion that charges could still move forward if they involved tampering with or attempting to tamper with evidence used during the Jan. 6 events.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ appears to be applying this narrow caveat in at least 13 cases in which the government believes the obstruction count can still be applied.<\/p>\n<p>For example, prosecutors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/08\/21\/justice-department-jan-6-obstruction-00175412\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> defendants Don and Shawndale Chilcoat on Aug. 21 that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the siblings from Ohio understood that their trek onto the Senate floor would block Congress from meeting on Jan. 6 to certify Biden&rsquo;s victory.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From this evidence, the jury certainly will be able to infer that Shawndale Chilcoat attempted to impair the availability of the electoral college votes which Congress was to consider,&rdquo; Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Romano wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-investigating-spacexs-hiring-practices-after-non-u-s-citizen-alleges-discrimination\/\" title=\"DOJ Investigating SpaceX\u2019s Hiring Practices After Non-U.S. Citizen Alleges Discrimination\">court filing<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n<p>As the 2020 election subversion case in Washington, D.C., is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3145056\/judge-grants-smith-request-jumpstart-jan-6-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>beckoning more briefs<\/a> from special counsel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Jack Smith<\/a>&lsquo;s team of prosecutors this fall, prosecutors may provide additional clarity over the government&rsquo;s decision to defend two obstruction charges against former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> in that four-count indictment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1759502\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1759502\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed nearly half of the obstruction charges against defendants related to the January 6 Capitol riot, following a key Supreme Court ruling in June. This ruling found that the DOJ had been interpreting a statute too broadly, which could impose up to 20 years in prison for those who &#8220;corruptly obstruct, influence, or impede any official proceeding.&#8221; As a result of the decision in Fischer v. United States, approximately 60 out of 126 pending obstruction charges have been dropped, significantly reducing potential prison sentences for these defendants.<\/p>\n<p>Among the 133 cases resolved before this ruling, the DOJ stated it does not oppose dismissing or vacating charges in about 40 cases while reviewing others. Recent data from the DOJ aligns with findings from a Washington Examiner investigation that revealed many violations under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 1512(c)(2) were being dropped prior to trial. For many defendants, these obstruction charges represented their most serious offenses compared to lesser violations like trespassing or unlawful picketing.<\/p>\n<p>Despite dropping these obstruction counts, all defendants will still face other criminal charges. The DOJ is continuing its pursuit of obstruction charges against 13 individuals and is assessing its next steps for remaining cases.<\/p>\n<p>Last week marked a significant development when former Virginia police officer Thomas Robertson became the first defendant to have his sentence reduced by one year due to this Supreme Court decision; he was originally sentenced to seven years but is now serving six.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling highlighted that prosecutors must demonstrate that a defendant disrupted materials used in an official proceeding to establish an obstruction violation. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that prosecutions could still proceed if they involved tampering with evidence related to January 6 events. The DOJ seems poised to apply this narrower interpretation in at least some ongoing cases where they believe there is sufficient evidence for such claims.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, prosecutors indicated there was enough evidence against Ohio siblings Don and Shawndale Chilcoat suggesting their actions on January 6 aimed at obstructing Congress&#8217;s certification of Biden\u2019s victory by entering the Senate floor.<\/p>\n<p>As developments continue regarding election-related legal matters involving former President Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith\u2019s team this fall, further clarity may emerge regarding how obstruction charges are being handled within those proceedings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2340480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/January_6_Jennings_1-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7076,36978,33211,33201,32076],"class_list":["post-2340479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-doj","tag-january-6","tag-legal-news","tag-obstruction-charges","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/January_6_Jennings_1-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340479","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\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2340479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2340479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2340479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2340479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}