The Supreme Court's conservative majority is deliberating the federal government's use of an obstruction law in prosecuting a Capitol riot defendant, with potential implications for President Trump's election interference case. The case involves Joseph Fischer, a former police officer charged with obstructing an official proceeding during the Jan. 6 Capitol disruption.
The court is examining whether the obstruction statute, originally aimed at corporate fraud, can be applied to individuals engaged in disruptive conduct like participating in a riot. Justices expressed concerns about the law's broad scope, questioning its application to various scenarios, including peaceful protests and heckling.
