Supreme Court makes it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, charge Trump faces

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday limited a federal obstruction law that has been used to charge hundreds of Capitol riot defendants as well as former President Donald Trump. Trump’s case is on hold while the Supreme Court considers a separate case in which Trump is claiming immunity from prosecution. Most defendants convicted of obstruction were also convicted of another felony so their sentence may not be significantly impacted - if at all. A divided panel of the federal appeals court in Washington reinstated the charge before the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case. For around 50 people who were convicted, obstruction was the only felony count, prosecutors said.