The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) has dropped nearly half of its pending obstruction charges against January 6 defendants, following a Supreme Court ruling that restricted the application of such charges. The Supreme Court determined that the DOJ had misinterpreted the statute regarding obstruction, which was initially aimed at conduct like document destruction in financial crime investigations. As a result, the DOJ dismissed obstruction charges for 60 out of 126 pending cases and is still considering the status of others, while proceeding with charges against 13 defendants. Additionally, the DOJ has agreed to drop obstruction charges in approximately 40 of 133 previously adjudicated cases. Despite the DOJ’s statements, 17 defendants had been convicted solely on obstruction charges, highlighting the significant impact of these charges. The DOJ maintains that defendants will still face other criminal charges even if obstruction charges are dropped.