No, Idiots, the First Amendment Doesn’t Protect Insurrections
When I come across news items that appear so outrageous as to be impossible, the first thing I do is verify that it wasn’t simply fabricated. This turns out to be true: the attorney for four members of the Proud Boys asked the judge to dismiss the cases against his clients associated with the insurrection, on the basis that their actions were protected by the guarantee of free speech under the First Amendment.
Somewhere out there is an attorney with a license to practice law who thought that this motion was reasonable. As shown here, the judge wasn’t buying it.
If I were on the bench, I’d try to have lawyers disbarred for bringing ludicrous motions to the court. They show a combination of disrespect for the judicial system and a poor understanding of the U.S. Constitution.