No. 23-5572October Term 2023Decided Jun 28, 2024
Fischer v. United States
This case involves a defendant charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol breach who challenged the government's use of an obstruction statute originally enacted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 28, 2024
- What it's about
This case involves a defendant charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol breach who challenged the government's use of an obstruction statute originally enacted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Supreme Court ruled that the statute, which prohibits obstructing official proceedings, applies only to evidence-impairing acts like destroying documents, rather than all forms of obstructive conduct.
Question presented
Does 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), which prohibits obstruction of congressional inquiries and investigations, include acts unrelated to investigations and evidence?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit / Decision released Jun 28, 2024
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided June 28, 2024
The Court released its decision 73 days after oral argument on April 16, 2024. The median for cases argued in April is 58 days.
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology