John Pierce, an attorney for 17 criminal defendants in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases, is missing and “unresponsive,” with prosecutors claiming he has been hospitalized due to COVID-19, according to court documents.
Monday’s filing in the case of defendant James Burton McGrew by prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia suggests that the missing attorney is “ill with COVID-19, on a ventilator, and unresponsive.”
“Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Pierce may be hospitalized and unable to communicate, and it is unclear when Mr. Pierce will recover,” the filing said. “The government is making the Court aware of Mr. Pierce’s reported illness so that it can take any steps it believes necessary to ensure the defendant’s rights are adequately protected while Mr. Pierce remains hospitalized.”
SEVEN CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP OVER STORMING OF CAPITOL
Federal prosecutors claim that the phone numbers of the attorney’s law firm have been disconnected.
Prosecutors have also stood in firm opposition to the presence of Pierce’s associate Ryan Marshall.
Marshall has been appearing in Pierce’s absence this past week, and prosecutors have warned the judge that he is not a “licensed attorney” and cannot continue to replace Pierce.
“Mr. Marshall cannot ethically or legally represent Mr. Pierce’s clients,” prosecutors stated in the filing. “The United States thus finds itself in a position where this defendant and 16 other defendants charged in connection with the Capitol Riot appear to be effectively without counsel.”
Attorney representing *17* defendants in US Capitol breach cases has fallen ill
Per court filing from federal prosecutors, John Pierce “is reportedly ill with COVID-19, on a ventilator, and unresponsive” pic.twitter.com/GUohnTJcko
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) August 30, 2021
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These defendants include members of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
