(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Federal prosecutors dropped charges for some protesters on Jan. 6, 2021, after the Supreme Court narrowed the government’s use of the count.
Since the justices ruled 6-3 that the government overreached in its sweeping prosecution of people who protested that day, the Justice Department has scrambled to redefine its use of the affected charge: obstruction of an official proceeding, The Hill reported.
However, court filings indicated that, in some instances, dropping the charge altogether has proved more efficient.
This is what happened in the case of Arthur Jackman, a member of the Proud Boys. The organization was later accused of preventing Democrats from stealing the 2020 election by refusing to replace Donald Trump with Joe Biden.
Even though Jackman was not accused of helping the Proud Boys plot, he faced other charges, such as trespassing and misbehaving. Court papers showed that he and his co-defendants were offered plea deals.
Prosecutors also extended a plea deal to Kellye SoRelle, an attorney for the group Oath Keepers and girlfriend of its leader, Stewart Rhodes, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The news source also reported that several Jan. 6, 2021, defendants whose cases are being overseen by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols have also seen federal prosecutors move to have their obstruction counts dropped.
Nichols initially dismissed the obstruction charge against Joseph Fischer, the rioter who brought his case to the Supreme Court.
Prosecutors also asked on July 16, 2024, to drop the obstruction charge against Gina Bisignano, a California beautician who stormed the Capitol in designer apparel and shouted, “You are not going to take away our Trumpy Bear” into a bullhorn.
In addition, prosecutors also moved to dismiss the charge against Mark Sahady, vice president of the Massachusetts-based conservative political group Super Happy Fun America, citing similar reasons.
