SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The Justice Department dropped all remaining charges against 38 protesters who resisted President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017. (Photo: Elvert Barnes/Flickr/cc)
Prosecutors Drop All Remaining Charges Against Trump Inauguration Protesters After 'Epic Failure' to Prove Wrongdoing
"The state failed at silencing dissent and today our movement is stronger than it was on #J20."
Jul 07, 2018
More than three dozen defendants in the year-long #DisruptJ20 trial celebrated Friday evening after prosecutors dismissed all remaining charges against them, following a number of failures to prove the protesters were guilty of wrongdoing.
"The state failed at silencing dissent and today our movement is stronger than it was on #J20," tweeted Dylan Petrohilos, who was charged with conspiracy, rioting, and destruction due to his participation in planning to protest--even though he did not attend. "I'm proud of all my co-defendants, and everyone in the streets who resisted fascism and state violence."
\u201cAaaaannnnd the #J20 trials are over. Government has dismissed charges against remaining 38 defendants. After charging more than 200 people with felonies, they got one single felony guilty plea. Pretty epic failure!\u201d— Ryan J. Reilly (@Ryan J. Reilly) 1530905826
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped charges against 38 people who were among the 234 arrested on January 20, 2017 at a protest against President Donald Trump's inauguration. Some of the charges had carried sentences of more than 60 years in prison.
The government initially charged the protesters with felony rioting, but were able to secure only one guilty plea to the charge. Twenty pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.
The protesters have been tried in groups, with six defendants acquitted late last year after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the protesters were responsible for the property damage they were accused of committing.
Prosecutors also came under scrutiny for relying on videos shot by the right-wing group Project Veritas to build their case--leading to a judge's ruling in the trial of 10 protesters in May, that the government had withheld evidence.
"I do think it's a serious violation," Wasington D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Morin said of the prosecution's failure to disclose the entirely of Project Veritas's undercover video of a meeting about the protests.
The protesters and their supporters posted on social media about their victory in court on Friday.
BREAKING: the District Attorney's office just dropped 38 of the last 39 #J20 defendants.
THIS IS HUGE #DefendJ20Â
But people will still need to cover legal fees so please get at this https://t.co/aoeMP6OdAR
-- Dylan Petrohilos (@dpetrohilos) July 6, 2018
\u201cVICTORY! Charges dismissed for all #J20 defendants! Congrats to all, as well as activists, supporters, and legal support groups such as Defend J20 Resistance and Dead City Legal Posse! https://t.co/pexa5syoS2\u201d— National Lawyers Guild (@National Lawyers Guild) 1530909221
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
More than three dozen defendants in the year-long #DisruptJ20 trial celebrated Friday evening after prosecutors dismissed all remaining charges against them, following a number of failures to prove the protesters were guilty of wrongdoing.
"The state failed at silencing dissent and today our movement is stronger than it was on #J20," tweeted Dylan Petrohilos, who was charged with conspiracy, rioting, and destruction due to his participation in planning to protest--even though he did not attend. "I'm proud of all my co-defendants, and everyone in the streets who resisted fascism and state violence."
\u201cAaaaannnnd the #J20 trials are over. Government has dismissed charges against remaining 38 defendants. After charging more than 200 people with felonies, they got one single felony guilty plea. Pretty epic failure!\u201d— Ryan J. Reilly (@Ryan J. Reilly) 1530905826
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped charges against 38 people who were among the 234 arrested on January 20, 2017 at a protest against President Donald Trump's inauguration. Some of the charges had carried sentences of more than 60 years in prison.
The government initially charged the protesters with felony rioting, but were able to secure only one guilty plea to the charge. Twenty pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.
The protesters have been tried in groups, with six defendants acquitted late last year after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the protesters were responsible for the property damage they were accused of committing.
Prosecutors also came under scrutiny for relying on videos shot by the right-wing group Project Veritas to build their case--leading to a judge's ruling in the trial of 10 protesters in May, that the government had withheld evidence.
"I do think it's a serious violation," Wasington D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Morin said of the prosecution's failure to disclose the entirely of Project Veritas's undercover video of a meeting about the protests.
The protesters and their supporters posted on social media about their victory in court on Friday.
BREAKING: the District Attorney's office just dropped 38 of the last 39 #J20 defendants.
THIS IS HUGE #DefendJ20Â
But people will still need to cover legal fees so please get at this https://t.co/aoeMP6OdAR
-- Dylan Petrohilos (@dpetrohilos) July 6, 2018
\u201cVICTORY! Charges dismissed for all #J20 defendants! Congrats to all, as well as activists, supporters, and legal support groups such as Defend J20 Resistance and Dead City Legal Posse! https://t.co/pexa5syoS2\u201d— National Lawyers Guild (@National Lawyers Guild) 1530909221
More than three dozen defendants in the year-long #DisruptJ20 trial celebrated Friday evening after prosecutors dismissed all remaining charges against them, following a number of failures to prove the protesters were guilty of wrongdoing.
"The state failed at silencing dissent and today our movement is stronger than it was on #J20," tweeted Dylan Petrohilos, who was charged with conspiracy, rioting, and destruction due to his participation in planning to protest--even though he did not attend. "I'm proud of all my co-defendants, and everyone in the streets who resisted fascism and state violence."
\u201cAaaaannnnd the #J20 trials are over. Government has dismissed charges against remaining 38 defendants. After charging more than 200 people with felonies, they got one single felony guilty plea. Pretty epic failure!\u201d— Ryan J. Reilly (@Ryan J. Reilly) 1530905826
The Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped charges against 38 people who were among the 234 arrested on January 20, 2017 at a protest against President Donald Trump's inauguration. Some of the charges had carried sentences of more than 60 years in prison.
The government initially charged the protesters with felony rioting, but were able to secure only one guilty plea to the charge. Twenty pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges.
The protesters have been tried in groups, with six defendants acquitted late last year after prosecutors failed to convince a jury that the protesters were responsible for the property damage they were accused of committing.
Prosecutors also came under scrutiny for relying on videos shot by the right-wing group Project Veritas to build their case--leading to a judge's ruling in the trial of 10 protesters in May, that the government had withheld evidence.
"I do think it's a serious violation," Wasington D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Morin said of the prosecution's failure to disclose the entirely of Project Veritas's undercover video of a meeting about the protests.
The protesters and their supporters posted on social media about their victory in court on Friday.
BREAKING: the District Attorney's office just dropped 38 of the last 39 #J20 defendants.
THIS IS HUGE #DefendJ20Â
But people will still need to cover legal fees so please get at this https://t.co/aoeMP6OdAR
-- Dylan Petrohilos (@dpetrohilos) July 6, 2018
\u201cVICTORY! Charges dismissed for all #J20 defendants! Congrats to all, as well as activists, supporters, and legal support groups such as Defend J20 Resistance and Dead City Legal Posse! https://t.co/pexa5syoS2\u201d— National Lawyers Guild (@National Lawyers Guild) 1530909221
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.