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Supreme Court

Jan. 6 defendant asks Supreme Court to throw out obstruction charge

The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on April 16 in the case of a former police officer from Pennsylvania who entered the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks. Joseph Fischer, who was charged with (among other things) assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct in the Capitol, and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, has asked the justices to throw out the charge that he obstructed an official proceeding, arguing that the law that he was charged with violating … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Self-proclaimed “blind mule” challenges expert testimony on drug-trafficking charge

The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

So-called “blind mules” are people who drive across the border without knowing their car has been packed with drugs. These people often escape criminal charges because, to convict someone of trafficking drugs into the country, the government has to prove that they knew they were carrying controlled substances. This week, … Read the rest

Supreme Court

Litigation continues over public charge immigration rule

The Petitions of the Week column highlights a selection of cert petitions recently filed in the Supreme Court. A list of all petitions we’re watching is available here.

Last term, the court dismissed as improvidently granted, or “DIG”ed, a case brought by Republican-controlled states challenging the government’s repeal of a Trump-era immigration policy known as the “public charge” rule. In a concurring opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the court’s DIG did not reflect “the appropriate resolution … Read the rest