Full Breakdown
Justice Department’s Felony Assault Prosecutions of Protesters Yield Few Convictions
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The U.S. Justice Department brought felony-assault charges against 102 protesters arrested in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland and Washington, D.C. during demonstrations last year. Most of the dozen cases that proceeded to trial—primarily in Los Angeles—ended in acquittal, mistrial or dismissal.
Data & Statistics
- 102 protesters faced felony-assault charges, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
- 41 % of those cases were dismissed; 34 % were reduced to misdemeanors.
- Ten defendants pleaded guilty to felony assault; nine received prison sentences.
- In 2024, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts reported an 82 % conviction rate for defendants charged with felony or misdemeanor assault nationwide, yet the AP analysis found that less than half of the protest-related defendants were convicted.
- In Portland, a jury could not reach a verdict on Oriana Korol’s felony charge, leading to a reduced misdemeanor plea and a sentence of time served plus one year of supervised release.
Official Statements & Responses
The U.S.
Criticism & Opposition
Legal scholars and defendants have questioned the aggressiveness of the charging strategy. Mary Fan, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the University of Washington, noted that “prosecutors tend to win because they control what cases they pursue and they have a lot of resources and discretion,” suggesting the low conviction rate raises doubts about whether the charges should have been filed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Prosecutors tend to win because they control what cases they pursue and they have a lot of resources and discretion,” — Mary Fan, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the University of Washington
- “They're trying to get a chilling effect out of these charges,” — Jonathan Caravello
- “I think when prosecutors bring charges ethically, they should be prepared to prove them beyond a reasonable doubt,” — Laurie Levenson