The USA Today, a liberal rag, reported over the weekend that three defendants from the so-called “January 6 riot” are shamelessly appealing to the Supreme Court in an attempt to escape accountability for their actions. These individuals, Edward Lang, Joseph Fischer, and Garret Miller, have the audacity to challenge the charges of “obstruction of an official proceeding,” claiming that their constitutional rights are at stake. It’s truly disgraceful how they are disregarding the consequences of their actions and attempting to twist the law in their favor.
https://x.com/USATODAY/status/1703705236412526717?s=20
According to their attorneys, Lang, Fischer, and Miller argue that the law used to charge them, which originated in 2002 after the Enron scandal, is being wrongly applied to their case. They claim that the law, intended to combat financial fraud, has been twisted into a political weapon to suppress dissent. It’s quite ironic that these individuals, who were involved in a violent attack on the Capitol building, are now crying foul and pretending to be defenders of the First Amendment. It’s clear that their motive is to escape punishment for their reprehensible behavior.
Furthermore, Lang’s legal team argues that their client did not meet the “corrupt” element required by the statute. They are asking the Supreme Court to intervene since lower courts have produced conflicting rulings, causing uncertainty on significant legal issues. However, their plea for intervention seems more like an attempt to exploit the legal system and frustrate justice.
It’s refreshing to see law professor Craig Trocino express skepticism regarding their chances of success. He rightly points out that defense lawyers will do everything in their power to defend their clients, even if it means stretching the truth and misrepresenting the law. He emphasizes that the key to interpreting statutes is to rely on their ordinary meanings, and he dismisses the argument that the law is too vague to be constitutional. It’s reassuring to see an expert recognize the ploy these defendants are attempting.
In the end, these three defendants are simply trying to evade responsibility for their actions on January 6. They participated in a violent attack on our nation’s Capitol, endangering the lives of lawmakers and undermining the very foundation of our democracy. It’s crucial that they face the full consequences of their behavior. The fact that they are appealing all the way to the Supreme Court shows how desperate and delusional they truly are. Instead of wasting time and resources on defending indefensible actions, it would be better for them to take responsibility and accept the consequences of their actions like responsible citizens should.