In a victory for the Justice Department and against commonsense, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that merely being in the Capitol was enough to merit conviction for “disorderly” or “disruptive” conduct.

A three-judge panel of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that they were participants if people were aware of what was happening around them. //

“Even passive, quiet and nonviolent conduct can be disorderly,” Henderson added, citing Supreme Court precedent that held sit-ins or protests that block traffic can be disorderly.

Compare and contrast this novel concept of "disorderly conduct" with the free pass given to all George Floyd Memorial Riot and Looting Festival participants. //

The Court [SCOTUS] has consistently over that time rejected the expansive application of statutory language by DOJ in the area of “obstruction of justice.” It has narrowly construed language such that an “ordinary person” would realize when his or her conduct crossed the line into criminal “obstructive” behavior. If Congress wants broader application, Congress needs to speak clearly by using expressly broader language.

What the DC Circuit has done is nothing other than legitimize a political vendetta. If we are ever fortunate enough to get another workable GOP majority in the House and Senate, the judges who validated this abuse must be held to account. Impeachment, even if failing to remove them from office, would at least deter other judges from acting like sock puppets to the Department of Justice. //

Cy
6 hours ago
Pro-Hamas can storm the capitol. Pro-Americans cannot set foot in it.

Liberals can shout down conservatives on campus, conservatives on campus aren't even allowed to breathe.

Leftist can burn down buildings and cities, conservatives can't pray outside an abortion clinic.

Someday the pendulum will swing the other way and I intend to take full advantage of it. //

emptypockets
4 hours ago edited
So accepting an invitation from a uniformed police officer to enter "the people's house" still makes one guilty of disorderly conduct if one's politics is of the wrong persuasion.

Yet some of the officers wearing the same uniform admitted they caused the riot by firing rubber bullets and pepper spray into a peaceful crowd.

One presumes [yes, wrongly but bear with me] that police officers KNOW and understand the laws they are sworn to enforce. so...wouldn't them inviting people in --against the law---be entrapment?

On anything related to "justice" in the District of Corruption, there is no perversion of law which would really surprise me. Disgust is a whole other critter, though.