Empty Wheel’s Marci Wheeler reports former Rittenhouse defense lawyer and current counsel for 17 different Capitol rioters John Pierce is currently intubated with a severe case of Coronvirus.
“At a status hearing for Shane Jenkins, a January 6 defendant accused of assault, this morning, his currently retained attorney, Public Defender Maria Jacob, started by saying that she believes that she’s being replaced. John Pierce’s colleague, Ryan Marshall (who is not barred in DC but nevertheless handled Pierce’s appearance in Nate DeGrave’s case yesterday), piped up to say, yes, that was happening but unfortunately the notice of appearance he thought had been filed last night had not appeared on the docket yet. When Judge Amit Mehta asked where Pierce was, Marshall said, ‘Mr. Pierce is in the hospital, we believe, with COVID-19, on a ventilator, non-responsive.’ Judge Mehta wished the Pierce family well and scheduled a hearing next Thursday rather than accepting the appearance of a lawyer on a ventilator to represent his 18th client in this matter,” Wheeler writes, adding “Update: A week ago, Pierce said he would never get vaccinated.”