Judge slams attorney in Jan. 6 case for arguing DC residents despise 'traditional values'

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

A federal judge on Wednesday chastised an attorney representing a Capitol riot defendant for arguing that D.C. residents despise rural Americans' "traditional values" while seeking to have the proceedings moved to another court. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta singled out the attorney, David W. Fischer, for the remarks during a lengthy hearing on Wednesday in one of the government's biggest cases concerning the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Fischer is representing Thomas Edward Caldwell, one of 18 co-defendants in a felony conspiracy case centered on the right-wing militia group the Oath Keepers.

"This brief – and I will be reserved about what I'm about to say – reads less like a legal brief than something you might read on a blog," said Mehta, an Obama appointee. "And that's not acceptable. I expect better from you, I expect better from every other lawyer in this courtroom. You just can't come in here and start sneaking statements about traditional values and whether people in a particular city have them or despise them. It's just not going to fly," the judge said.

Mehta conceded that there could be a valid legal argument for why Fischer's client would not be able to receive a fair trial in Washington, but said the lawyer's rhetoric was an inappropriate way to go about raising the issue.



Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/571397-judge-slams-attorney-in-jan-6-case-for-arguing-dc-residents-despise

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Last month, Fischer submitted a motion on behalf of Caldwell, a Virginia resident, seeking a change of venue. In the filing, he argued that the district's residents are largely hostile to former President Trump and his supporters, making it difficult to convene an impartial jury.

"District residents not only despise Caldwell’s politics—they despise many things that traditional America stands for," the motion reads. "District residents, who largely style themselves as chic, sophisticated, worldly, high-brow urbanites, are repulsed by rural America’s traditional values, patriotism, religion, gun ownership, and perceived lack of education. Conversely, rural America is repulsed by what it perceives as East and West Coast progressive snobbery, addiction to government funding, lack of moral values, and petulant intolerance for those with different viewpoints."

Fischer said in court on Wednesday that he may have gone too far with the language he used in the brief ...

[Moebym]

1. Frankly, if his "values" were what propelled him to participate in a violent insurrection

They are NOT worth defending.

[bottomofthehill]

2. What he means is that there is a high amount of African Americans in the Jury pool

And he does not think people of color should sit in judgement of his client.

Maybe his client should not have come to DC with the intent to commit a crime.

Too fucking bad dip-shit. Hope you get what you deserve.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Yup, "addicted to gov funding" is codeword for AA "welfare queens", which was Reagan racist codeword

[COL Mustard]

11. In This Case It Refers To Those Of Us Who Work For The Government

But your take is probably also accurate.

[bottomofthehill]

25. Hey LTC, checking in from Fairfax

[COL Mustard]

28. Falls Church/Arlington Here

[iluvtennis]

23. Exactly! n/t

[luvtheGWN]

3. "Fischer said in court on Wednesday that he may have gone too far with the language he used

in the brief".

Ya think???

Some day I'd love to hear a reporter ask a republican to spell out those "traditional values". I'm hearing the same rhetoric up here in the Great White North from Conservatives, especially now during our election campaigns.

"Traditional values" in the US seems to be God, guns and religion, just as Obama said. Oh, and keeping women subservient. Yes, especially that one. And keeping folks ignorant and uneducated. Yep, that one too.

[whathehell]

9. The values of Republicans, in the words of Dr. Howard Dean, concern

'God, Guns and Gays'

[AllaN01Bear]

19. ive been hearing that nonsense since my jimmy carter days whilst

living in a burb of la . no one wont or probably cant explain what it is .

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. More lies from Qucks. It is RED STATES that are addicted to federal funding. . . . nt

[lookyhereyou]

6. petulant intolerance ?

who has petulant intolerance if you don't
like an election just 1 / 6 it. 1 / 6 / 21 that is.
are they projecting again, or does this go way beyond
petulant intolerance !

[mountain grammy]

7. Well maybe they should stay home to riot.

[MyOwnPeace]

8. Well, 'ya see......

it goes like this:

81 million Americans said that this man should be the leader of our country.
74 million Americans thought that that other guy should have that job.
And now you're telling me that the losers should have a chance to change those results?

Have a seat, sir, and this trial shall begin............

[Racygrandma]

10. Boy have I heard that before

I have in-laws living out in western Kansas. That is how they think. They always have the moral authority, and they think we are the enemy, we are supposed to find them disgusting because they live in rural communities. After all these years I still do not understand those guys, they hate us because we live in the "big city". I have always felt like an outsider whenever I am out there. They rarely have any interaction with other races, cultures or faiths. They totally mistrust anyone that is not one of them.

[PSPS]

15. "I have always felt like an outsider whenever I am out there."

It wasn't always like that. Maybe it doesn't have to be like that.

In my younger days, I would spend many summer interludes at the grandparent's farm in very rural Northern California on Horse Creek. We all got along fine. It never occurred to any of us to even think about politics, let alone talk about it.

Today, though, we are all smothered in the media's "outrage industry." It's what drives "engagement." Want to get more viewers/listeners/readers/subscribers than your competitor? Just be more outrageous! Paying advertisers will flock to you! Ka-ching, baby! Facebook, twitter, Fox, you name it. That's the hot and growing media market now!

My recommendation: Just change the channel or do whatever it takes to disconnect from the "outrage industry." It works!

[Racygrandma]

26. And another thing, they are wearing rags

My husbands sister and brother still live out there. His sister has a brother in law that runs a bar out there. Lately I have noticed that customers come in there wearing rags. We do not dress up at all, last time I bought clothing I went to a thrift shop and bought two shirts, and jeans and a purse. I came home happy. No I do not dress up, but these people come in wearing rags. They have no way to make a living in a lot of places out there. So I guess there is a lot going on. But they do treat me like an outsider.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

20. But they call us progressives petulant and intolerant.

[ashredux]

12. Looking to move so they can find a friendly place to get jury nullification

[wnylib]

18. You nailed it.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. "lack of moral values"

which is nothing more than a projection about himself and describes why he and his terrorist insurrectionist buddies are sitting in court in front of a judge.

[halfulglas]

14. Fischer must have RW political aspirations.

If he's a real lawyer admitted to the bar he should know he's not talking to the Republican base when he's in the courtroom. He's either lazy, stupid or thinking he's addressing a different audience instead of the court. The defendant, his family and friends are the only ones that would be impressed with that kind of language in court.

[lonely bird]

16. I live in rural America

Fuck Fischer. Patriotism is not a rural American value. Religion isn’t an American value at all. Gun ownership is bullshit.

As for petulant intolerance of those with different viewpoints? That fucking describes the RW to a tee.

[iluvtennis]

24. + agree. where ones lives - city or rural or in between has nothing to do with patriotism. n/t

[Ford_Prefect]

17. I think a referral to the DC Bar Review Committee is in order.

David W. Fischer has falsely accused the district jurors of unwarranted bias, and by implication the US prosecutor's office. That's not only contemptable but is also inexcusably unprofessional practice. The Virginia Bar Committee may be interested as well.

[RainCaster]

21. What a crock of shit

I love that the judge wasn't buying any of this.

[Evolve Dammit]

22. I really appreciate the insight and accuracy of the posters on this topic. DU'ers are the best.

[Progressive Jones]

27. Here's a traditional American value. Treasonous trash goes to prison. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

29. Courts are places of law, logic, reason, facts

How do you argue vague cultural values, however true as a broad observation, in a court of law? I think the lawyer has an agenda of his own.