A New Hampshire defense attorney representing a defendant charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack has been sued in federal court for allegedly misappropriating a copyrighted study analyzing jury attitudes in the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit, filed by Texas-based researcher Lindsay Olson, alleges that the attorney used her 27-page report without authorization. Olson’s firm, In Lux Research, produced the study in April 2022 to support motions for changing trial venues for January 6 defendants, arguing that potential jurors in Washington, D.C., held biases against the accused. The report highlighted that D.C. residents were more likely to describe the events as an “insurrection” and felt personally affected by the incident compared to residents in other regions.
Olson contends that while some defense attorneys paid the $30,000 licensing fee to use her report, others, including public defenders, utilized it without permission. She has initiated multiple lawsuits against these attorneys, claiming copyright infringement. One such case targets D.C.-based defense attorney Kira West, alleging that West used the report in three separate criminal cases without authorization. Olson’s legal representative, James Bartolomei, stated, “Each lawyer exploited the entire written report for the very same purpose that she created it, which was for use in support of a motion to transfer venue out of D.C.” ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-defendants-attorneys-plagiarism-lawsuits/?utm_source=openai))
Legal experts note that once a document is filed on the public docket, it enters the public domain, potentially undermining claims of copyright infringement. Olson’s report was publicly filed in support of venue change motions, leading some to question the validity of her lawsuits. ([abovethelaw.com](https://abovethelaw.com/2025/11/expert-sues-jan-6-lawyers-for-attaching-her-publicly-filed-report-without-paying-30k/?utm_source=openai))
Despite numerous motions citing Olson’s study, courts have consistently denied requests to transfer January 6 cases out of Washington, D.C. A federal appeals court recently upheld the conviction of a former New York City Police Department officer, rejecting arguments that the D.C. jury pool was biased. The court found no evidence suggesting that jurors had preconceived notions about the defendant or were unable to be impartial. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/january-6-cases-washington-dc-jury-bias-appeals-court/?utm_source=openai))
As these lawsuits progress, they raise important questions about the intersection of copyright law and public court filings, as well as the ethical obligations of attorneys in utilizing expert reports.