Mass Black Judge

Attorney John Pierce is one of the nation’s premier trial lawyers. He recently garnered much praise on the right for defending Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot two people during a Wisconsin protest demonstration.

Subsequently, he stopped communicating with federal prosecutors regarding 17 clients accused of storming the Capitol, and vanished. His associates have offered various explanations as to his whereabouts; one theory suggests he might have been hospitalized with COVID-19 on a ventilator.

Attorney John Pierce is Missing

Attorney John Pierce, known for defending various right-wing figures charged in the January 6 Capitol Riots as well as criticizing vaccine mandates online, has gone missing amid reports he is critically ill with Covid-19. Pierce represents 17 accused rioters; no court appearance has been reported from him in recent days and associates have given conflicting accounts of whereabouts; according to government claims his disappearance has rendered their cases moot – effectively leaving their clients without counsel and effectively without representation.

On Monday, the federal government first informed judges in Pierce’s cases about his disappearance. Acting U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips noted in court filings that Pierce has left his clients “effectively without counsel”. Later filings by Pierce himself acknowledged his disappearance; in one filing he stated he had just been released from a 12-day hospital stay near Los Angeles and would return next week.

Pierce, a former Army tank platoon leader, has represented multiple members of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups that led riots last year. Additionally, he represented two families killed at far-right extremist demonstrations last year and represented their rights under free speech law when reacting against attacks on law enforcement officials. Pierce maintains that these rioters are protected under free speech rights while they were acting within official U.S. policy when responding to these incidents.

One of Pierce’s high-profile clients was Kyle Rittenhouse, who was killed during the riot after shooting two police officers responding to protest. Rittenhouse has also been an outspoken voice on right-wing media promoting an ideology suggesting the investigation of the riot is biased and their prosecution constitutes political persecution.

The Justice Department filing disputes Ryan Marshall, an associate of Pierce’s firm, has been filling in for him at hearings and meetings with prosecutors during the last week. They maintain that Marshall cannot represent Pierce’s clients ethically and legally despite his claims to suffering from dehydration and exhaustion; furthermore he does not possess an active license as an attorney.

Attorney John Pierce is Back

John Pierce, who represented a large group of defendants charged in the January 6 Capitol Riot, has vanished without trace, according to federal prosecutors. He has refused to respond to phone calls and emails from them and his associate Ryan Marshall informed a judge at one of their hearings that Pierce was hospitalized with coronavirus infection and on a ventilator, unresponsive and unconscious, according to court filings.

At that hearing, the Justice Department noted that Pierce represents 17 Capitol rioters without an alternate attorney to step in should she become incapacitated. It also pointed out that these cases include thousands of hours of video footage and terabytes of data for discovery purposes, making trial preparation especially challenging even for an experienced lawyer such as Pierce.

Situation brings to light financial issues for attorney Pierce and the fact that his law firm is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Pierce reportedly owes several creditors, and recently made headlines by demanding video footage be released of Capitol and calling Nancy Pelosi as witness among other demands from government.

Pierce was hired to represent accused rioter Stephanie Baez in her Jan. 6 case; however, she asked to have a public defender instead; thus the judge agreed. This situation persisted until Wednesday when Pierce reappeared and filed a letter to all judges explaining his absence from court proceedings.

He wrote that he had been hospitalized for 12 days and wouldn’t return until September. Additionally, he indicated that Marshall misspoke when she suggested that he was on a ventilator; although, he did admit to suffering from COVID-19.

Pierce’s sudden absence has created confusion in other cases, including that of Deborah Lee. At her last hearing, Deborah requested Cara Halverson as opposed to Pierce as her public defender; thus granting her request and giving the government time to find an attorney willing to represent them in their riot charge case.

Attorney John Pierce is Still Missing

One of the lawyers representing those charged in connection with the Jan 6 Capitol Riot hasn’t made an appearance for nearly a week, prompting federal prosecutors to raise an alarm. A letter was filed Monday which noted reports suggesting John Pierce has COVID-19, making him indisposed and unable to meet with clients or travel. An associate from Pierce’s firm named Ryan Marshall has since filled in at hearings and meetings with government.

The government’s filings allege conflicting news accounts which suggest Pierce is seriously ill and may need a ventilator. His opponents accuse him of exploiting his illness for publicity; others worry he’s treating them unfairly or not doing an effective job representing them.

There’s no indication yet of whether the missing attorney has any medical or mental health conditions that might explain his disappearance, though financial difficulties have likely contributed to it. He founded a law firm which later found itself accused of mismanagement and went bankrupt; multiple creditors sued him as well as multiple personal battles from former colleagues and family members against whom he was sued for various debts incurred while practicing.

He’s known for his staunch support of President Donald Trump and anti-establishment views, amassing nearly two dozen clients charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. In past statements made publicly by him regarding these clients – even going after Speaker Nancy Pelosi by alleging her staff knew of security weaknesses before the riot started – he has pledged his services as their legal defense representative and promised them justice and will fight hard in their behalf.

Pierce represents several militia groups including Proud Boys and Oath Keeper militia groups as well as former President Rudy Giuliani’s son and an anti-vaxxer facing felony riot charges in Wisconsin. Recently, he has promoted his firm with hopes of winning more cases, portraying himself as a legal warrior fighting on behalf of clients against an increasingly corrupt and overreaching government.

Attorney John Pierce is Unresponsive

Justice Department prosecutors are still prosecuting those involved with the January 2017 invasion of the Capitol by right-wing extremists, while separate narrative wars over it continue. Conservatives have sought to paint it as either an act of theft gone bad or even as part of a false-flag operation by government; there have been multiple lawsuits brought by both defendants, their families, and potential victims; Attorney John Pierce who represents many rioters has come under scrutiny for both processes.

As Pierce is representing 17 individuals charged in the Capitol case, he has become the subject of public concern regarding potential conflicts of interest. Prosecutors have informed judges overseeing his cases that Pierce hasn’t been communicating with them as per normal; their last contact was Aug 23.

Attorney David Greenblatt is well-recognized in right-wing circles for his staunchly pro-Trump views and support of causes championed by those charged with attacking the Capitol building. His clients include members of white supremacist group Proud Boys as well as several people involved with protests — father-and-son duos, Florida pastors and Minnesota pub workers among them.

Some of his colleagues, however, have raised serious concerns over how he’s handling Capitol cases. According to them, he appears to be using his position as attorney for multiple clients to leverage negotiations with prosecutors; suggesting he should be given more leeway when it comes to waiving certain defenses like public authority arguments for certain defendants.

Pierce has not addressed criticism directly; however, on Wednesday he filed a letter with judges overseeing cases he is representing detailing that he has been hospitalized and won’t return until Sept 13; it also did not reveal whether Covid-19 had been diagnosed.

Tensegrity Law Group hired this lawyer as a summer associate in 2022; he is a seasoned patent attorney with experience handling intellectual property cases in federal district courts as well as before the International Trade Commission and Patent Trial and Appeal Board. While at Texas A&M University law school he passed the Patent Office Registration Examination while also participating in patent prosecution through its patent clinic.