Big Court Thinking About Case That Could Affect Jan. 6 People

On Tuesday, the big court in the country will talk about whether the folks who supported ex-President Donald Trump and made trouble at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, can get in trouble with a special law. This law, until now, was only for catching people doing tricky money stuff, not rioting.

The main thing they’re talking about, in a case called Fischer v. U.S., is a rule in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This law came after a big problem with a company called Enron. It says companies have to be very careful with their money records. But it also says you can’t mess up an official meeting, like Congress trying to count votes for President. This is what they’re saying many people did during the Capitol trouble, including Trump. They’re not asking if one guy, Joseph Fischer, did it, but if this law can be used for what happened.

Before they talk, both sides wrote about what they think. The people who say Fischer did wrong show text messages where he talks about things getting violent, and videos where he’s going into the Capitol shouting. They say this proves he was trying to stop Congress from doing its job.

But Fischer’s friends say he left after the big speech and only came back when the trouble was starting. They say he got pushed by the crowd and only stayed in the Capitol for a few minutes before leaving by himself.

Fischer’s friends think the law is being used too much here. They say it’s not fair because it could mean even regular stuff like talking to politicians could be a crime.

If the big court agrees with Fischer’s friends, it could mean big changes for lots of people who got in trouble for what happened on January 6. It might mean they get new trials or less punishment.

For Trump, if Fischer wins, it could mean he has fewer things to worry about from the law. He’s saying this is all just people trying to hurt him for politics, and a win for Fischer would help him tell that story.