The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a defense claim by a Jan. 6 defendant to ward off a move that prosecutors have used against more than 1,400 people, Politico reported on Tuesday.

The issue at hand is whether Jan. 6 defendant Couy Griffin could argue that he was unaware of “knowingly” breaching a Secret-Service-protected permitter and the government did not conclusively prove that Griffin was aware of the restrictions in place at the time of riots.

In a 2-1 ruling, Judges Cornelia Pillard and Judith Rogers decided the trespassing law being adjudicated was passed to bolster security for Secret Service protectees. At the time of the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, former Vice President Mike Pence was inside the Capitol, therefore the grounds were under heightened Secret Service restriction.

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