Many people at the Capitol right now have legal exposure for committing federal crimes.
Here is some of the relevant law...
It is a violation of federal law to trespass -- entering or remaining in a building that a person is not licensed to enter.
It is a violation of federal law to enter a restricted government building, or to engage in disorderly contact near it that impedes government business.
It is a violation of federal law to damage government property.
It is a *felony* to enter a restricted government building with a deadly weapon.
It is a *felony* to enter a restricted government building and also cause serious bodily injury.
Those federal felonies are punishable by up to ten years in prison.
There is strong evidence that many people at the Capitol are actively committing one or more federal crimes, all in public and on camera.
Many of these people face legal exposure for committing crimes on significant U.S. government property -- all while the police showed them far more restraint and leniency than shown towards individuals who have demonstrated peacefully in public.
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MSNBC cut away from The President's remarks tonight for a fact check...
(1/x)
And we continued reporting the facts and law about the counting process, and then heard from a Secretary of State about the counting process -- and the actual legal requirements for when there are legitimate legal questions regarding the vote.
There are also some important points about President Trump's current legal position - *apart* from what he claimed tonight (some of which does not bear repeating)...
NEW: Presidential Debate Commission announces it will add a #MUTE button for each of the "two minute" opening remarks sections of the debate...
... but then both candidates' mics will still be open during the remaining 13 minutes of each section.
So, that's a little more mute button than before - but for the bulk of the final debate, a candidate who insists on talking over the other candidate's time will not be prevented from doing that under the rules, sanction or technology.
Commission:
"The only candidate whose microphone will be open during these 2-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules. For the balance.. both candidates’ microphones will be open..."
Quick voting rights thread on this moment in the Barrett hearing...
Sen. Harris is correct about the impact of the Shelby decision on voting rights..
Barrett is legally correct on the (parsing) point that the Shelby decision was written to technically allow Congress to 'update' the law - which Senate Republicans have refused to do.
Sen. McConnell changed the number of working justices on The Supreme Court from 9 to 8, for well over a year.
Justice Scalia died in Feb. 2016, but the GOP Senate did not allow for any vote on the first nominee to replace him, ever - and provided for a vote on the second nominee to replace him in April 2017.
1. Congress may "permanently "change the size of the court by law - (until law is amended)
2. The Senate has the ability to temporarily change the size of the Court, by blocking new members.
3. McConnell already did that, make him the 'first mover' on altering the Court's size.