Statute Engine: Case Analysis Brief, United States v. Fischer

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Disclaimer: Preliminary research output. Every finding requires verification by a licensed attorney before any use.

Summary: 1 finding type(s)

CRITICAL

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

Finding Summary

no evidence-impairment nexus alleged (Fischer)1 occurrenceCRITICAL

Findings (critical first)

CRITICALno evidence-impairment nexus alleged (Fischer)

Issue	The document alleges obstruction of an official proceeding but no impairment of records, documents, objects, or other evidence. Under Fischer v. United States, 603 U.S. 480 (2024), § 1512(c)(2) requires that nexus; charges without it were dismissed across January 6 prosecutions after the decision.
Authority	18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2); Fischer v. United States, 603 U.S. 480 (2024)
Pack severity	high
Readings	no evidence-impairment conduct is alleged \| evidence impairment may appear in facts outside this text
Affected counts 1 occurrence	COUNT THREE: “On or about January 6, 2021, within the District of Columbia and elsewhere, JOSEPH W. FISCHER, attempted to, and did, corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceedi…”

Per-count screening. Click a count to see every element checked and its findings.

LOWCOUNT ONE0 findings · 4 elements checked

Screened against 18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3), all 4 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	act to obstruct, impede, or interfere	obstruct, obstructed, impede, interfere, act to obstruct, attempted to commit an act	18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3)
✓	law-enforcement officer lawfully engaged in official duties	law enforcement officer, lawfully engaged, official duties, performance of his/her official duties	18 U.S.C. § 232(3)
✓	incident to and during a civil disorder	civil disorder	18 U.S.C. § 232(1)
✓	commerce or federally-protected-function nexus	commerce, federally protected function, movement of any article, adversely affected commerce	18 U.S.C. § 231(a)(3)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

LOWCOUNT TWO0 findings · 5 elements checked

Screened against 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1), all 5 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	forcibly	forcibly	18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1)
✓	assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere	assault, assaulting, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, interfere	18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1)
✓	federal officer or employee (§ 1114)	officer and employee of the united states, employee of the united states, person assisting such an officer, uniformed se	18 U.S.C. § 1114
✓	engaged in or on account of official duties	official duties, performance of official duties, on account of the performance	18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1)
✓	felony aggravator (physical contact or intent to commit another felony)	physical contact, intent to commit another felony	18 U.S.C. § 111(a)

Modifiers / references: 18 U.S.C. § 2, aiding and abetting (modifier)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

CRITICALCOUNT THREE1 finding · 4 elements checked

Screened against 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), 3 of 4 elements alleged ⚠

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	obstructive act	obstruct, obstruction, impede, influence	18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)
✓	official proceeding	official proceeding, proceeding before, certification of the electoral college	18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)
✓	corrupt intent	corruptly	18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)
✗	evidence-impairment nexus (Fischer)	not alleged	18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)

Modifiers / references: 3 U.S.C. § 15, referenced proceeding (Electoral Count Act); 18 U.S.C. § 2, aiding and abetting (modifier)

CRITICAL no evidence-impairment nexus alleged (Fischer). See the CRITICAL card above.

LOWCOUNT FOUR0 findings · 5 elements checked

Screened against 18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1), all 5 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	knowingly	knowingly, unlawfully and knowingly	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)
✓	restricted building or grounds	restricted building, restricted area, cordoned-off, posted, cordoned, otherwise restricted	18 U.S.C. § 1752(c)(1)
✓	Secret Service protectee present	vice president, president, temporarily visiting	18 U.S.C. § 1752(c)(1)(B)
✓	enter or remain	enter, entering, remain, remaining	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1)
✓	without lawful authority	without lawful authority, unlawfully	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(1)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

LOWCOUNT FIVE0 findings · 6 elements checked

Screened against 18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(2), all 6 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	knowingly	knowingly	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)
✓	restricted building or grounds	restricted building, restricted area, cordoned-off, posted, cordoned, otherwise restricted	18 U.S.C. § 1752(c)(1)
✓	Secret Service protectee present	vice president, president, temporarily visiting	18 U.S.C. § 1752(c)(1)(B)
✓	disorderly or disruptive conduct	disorderly, disruptive conduct, disruptive	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(2)
✓	intent to impede or disrupt Government business	intent to impede, with intent to impede and disrupt, orderly conduct of government business	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(2)
✓	conduct in fact impeded or disrupted	in fact impede, did in fact	18 U.S.C. § 1752(a)(2)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

LOWCOUNT SIX0 findings · 4 elements checked

Screened against 40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D), all 4 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	willfully and knowingly	willfully and knowingly, willfully, knowingly	40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)
✓	in a Capitol Building or Grounds	capitol building, capitol buildings	40 U.S.C. § 5101
✓	disorderly or disruptive conduct	disorderly, disruptive conduct, disruptive	40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D)
✓	intent to impede, disrupt, or disturb Congress	session of congress, either house of congress, committee of congress, intent to impede, disturb the orderly conduct	40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(D)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

LOWCOUNT SEVEN0 findings · 3 elements checked

Screened against 40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(G), all 3 elements alleged ✓

	Element	Matched terms	Authority
✓	willfully and knowingly	willfully and knowingly, willfully, knowingly	40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)
✓	in a Capitol Building or Grounds	capitol building, united states capitol	40 U.S.C. § 5101
✓	parade, demonstrate, or picket	paraded, parading, demonstrated, demonstrating, picketed, picketing	40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(2)(G)

Every screened element is alleged on the face of this count, so the pack raised no finding. Attorney verification still required.

Citations not screened

Every count citing a statute was screened.

Deterministic analysis only. No language model contributed to this brief. Preliminary research output. Every finding requires verification by a licensed attorney before any use.