The wheels of justice turn slowly enough as it is, and when it comes to complex cases like the Jan. 6 insurrectionist prosecutions, the pace can be positively glacial, especially because evidence is still being gathered—and arrests are still being made—nearly a year later. Moreover, because the first cases to be processed in the courts were largely simple charges for lesser offenses, the overwhelming impression so far has been that the Justice Department is not taking the matter seriously enough, undercharging defendants and dragging its feet—which in turn has produced some serious criticism from the federal bench. But there are signs that the logjam in the courts is about to ease up. A benchmark ruling this week by one of these federal judges essentially gives prosecutors the green light to proceed with their primary strategy—namely, to prosecute most of the defendants for obstructing Congress, a charge that defense lawyers have tried to argue does not fit the crime. It could have far-reaching implications—even for high-powered players like Mark Meadows. Read more