Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of Jan. 6 ‘Parading’ Conviction

Nassif’s petition to the Supreme Court pointed to a tension between federal and local court interpretations. While the D.C. Circuit has classified the Capitol as a nonpublic forum, the D.C. Court of Appeals has previously recognized certain areas—such as the Capitol Rotunda—as public forums requiring more narrowly tailored speech restrictions. Federal courts, however, have consistently upheld broader limits when national security and congressional operations are implicated.

U.S. District Judge John Bates had earlier sustained the parading charge, citing long-standing precedent permitting limits on expressive conduct within the Capitol complex to prevent disruptions to legislative proceedings.