BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas — The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Friday, June 28 that could potentially affect hundreds of cases in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
In Fischer vs. United States, the Court ruled 6-3 that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents, a category only some of the convicted rioters reportedly fall into.
About 350 people have been charged with obstruction since the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, according to the Associated Press, including Christopher Grider of Bruceville-Eddy, who was sentenced to 83 months in prison in 2023 for his actions in the riot.
Court documents say Grider used a bike rack to climb the northwest terrace stairs of the Capitol after pushing though a line of police, and say that once Grider was inside the Capitol, he attempted to break through the House Chamber's Main Door along with other rioters.
In December 2022, Grider was found guilty of nine total charges. He also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges to his bench trial. Grider was found guilty of the following charges:
- Obstructing officers during civil disorder
- Corruptly obstructing an official proceeding (the charge in question)
- Injuring, damaging or destroying government property
- Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building
- Engaging in physical violence in a restricted building
- Violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
- Act of physical violence in a Capitol building
According to the Associated Press, The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, which has handled Jan. 6 prosecutions, said no one who has been convicted of or charged with obstruction will be completely cleared because of the ruling. Every defendant also has other felony or misdemeanor charges, or both, prosecutors said.
Grider's attorney Brent Mayr sent 6 News the following statement on whether they intend to appeal his case due to the new ruling:
"Yes. In fact, his case is already on appeal," Mayr told 6 News. "The DC Circuit Court of Appeals had ordered a stay of the appeal pending a decision from the Supreme Court in Fischer. Now that the decision has been issued – and it is indeed favorable to Mr. Grider – we expect the Court of Appeals to reverse his conviction for that most serious count that he was convicted of and send his case back to the trial court to hopefully reconsider its sentence as it applies to the remaining counts against him."
More information on the ruling can be found at this link.
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