David John Lesperance of Florida was charged with storming our Capitol Building with his preacher in tow. Wonder what that means? Did he need moment-to-moment forgiveness? Well, Donald Trump is not really a president, but he claims he is, so why should we be surprised when an attorney with over a dozen January 6 clients is not really an attorney? While the conservative attorney John Pierce was in the hospital dealing with the coronavirus, his stand-in was no more than a fraud, it seems. So what does that make Donald?
It appears that Ryan Marshall has been charged with felonies for impersonating a licensed attorney. Hey, Trump’s army does not believe this is a democracy, so why would they care if the guy who represented the Kenosha, Illinois shooter Kyle Rittenhouse was not a real lawyer, as the Associated Press (AP) reported?
As a result of that case, Pierce just kept picking up clients in the White nationalist movement, according to The Law & Crime:
‘Rittenhouse’s family fired Pierce after questioning what he did with the millions he raised for the accused murderer. Now, Pierce’s relationship with some 17 other clients stands in limbo for health reasons.’
The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne McNamara, wrote a five-page notice regarding Pierce:
‘Sadly, Mr. Pierce is reportedly ill with COVID-19, on a ventilator, and unresponsive.
‘For roughly the past week, Ryan Marshall—an associate from Mr. Pierce’s law firm who is not a licensed attorney—has been appearing in Mr. Pierce’s place at court hearings and meetings with the government.’
‘Because Mr. Pierce is unavailable and Mr. Marshall cannot ethically or legally represent Mr. Pierce’s clients, 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.’
Marshall told a judge in open court two weeks ago:
‘Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive.’
Prosecutors pointed out in the Fayette County Pennsylvania Courts portal that he was arrested for “defrauding a widow and her late husband” all the while he was clerking for a judge:
‘[Marshall] currently faces felony criminal charges in two cases in the Court of Common Pleas of Fayette County, Pennsylvania.’
Marshall spoke about the anti-vaxxer Pierce’s diagnosis in court. A source told NPR that Pierce was, indeed, in the hospital with the coronavirus but never on a ventilator. Brody Womack told NPR that his “dear friend:”
‘[Pierce was] hospitalized on Monday due to symptoms that he believed might be related to COVID-19 [but just] appears to be suffering from dehydration and exhaustion in relation to his tireless work on behalf of his clients.’
Pierce went silent on Twitter on August 20, and prosecutors have had no contact with him since August 13. They indicated that his legal office phone numbers have been disconnected.
McNamara wrote:
‘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.’
‘Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Pierce may be hospitalized and unable to communicate, and it is unclear when Mr. Pierce will recover. Although Mr. Marshall has now appeared several times in Mr. Pierce’s place, he is not a licensed attorney and thus cannot appear in this Court, represent Mr. Pierce’s clients, or provide them with legal advice or services.’
The government’s notice indicated:
‘From the government’s perspective, given Mr. Pierce’s reported illness and the fact that Mr. Marshall is not a licensed attorney, this case is effectively at a standstill. Although Mr. Marshall has been the government’s main or sole point of contact for many of the defendants represented by Mr. Pierce, the government does not believe it appropriate to continue to communicate with him in Mr. Pierce’s absence, during which he would necessarily be acting without supervision by a licensed attorney.’
Prosecutors wanted to halt the court’s proceedings until either Pierce or his clients returned or until they had adequate representation:
‘Hopefully, Mr. Pierce will soon regain his health and be able to continue his representation of the defendant. The government did, however, want to make the Court aware of Mr. Pierce’s reported illness and its impact on the case so that the Court can take any steps it believes necessary to ensure that the defendant’s rights are adequately protected while Mr. Pierce remains hospitalized.’
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