Distrust of federal officers takes spotlight at DC trial of anti-ICE protester
By Holmes Lybrand, CNN
(CNN) — Residents of the nation’s capital voiced their increased opposition and distrust of federal officers — especially around the administration’s deportation efforts — during jury selection Tuesday in the trial of an anti-ICE protester accused of assaulting an officer.
For about three hours, attorneys questioned potential jurors about their ability to be impartial in the trial of Sydney Reid, who was arrested in July while she filmed the arrest of a non-citizen. Nearly a dozen people in the federal jury pool said they couldn’t be impartial in the case because of their feelings.
“I have very bad views of them,” one woman told the judge presiding over the case of immigration officers.
“Just last month,” she said through an immediate rush of tears, apologizing for their interruption, “my cousin and my aunt were taken from me.”
The woman said she couldn’t be an impartial juror in Reid’s trial, adding that her family has faced growing financial difficulties as her dad and mom “have stopped working, because of the fear” of federal law enforcement.
“I’m very sorry about what has happened,” the presiding judge, Sparkle Sooknanan, said before excusing the woman.
Prosecutors, after failing three times to secure an indictment through a grand jury, charged Reid with simple assault. They say she thrusted her knee upward in a threatening manner toward a federal officer who was holding her back while she was filming.
Reid’s attorneys argue the movement of her knee was reactionary and didn’t, in any way, constitute an assault of the officer, who was not injured.
Residents of DC were questioned during the jury selection process whether they had any feelings toward ICE and law enforcement that would prevent them from serving on the jury.
“Since January, the city has changed and I’m very distraught,” one woman told the judge when asked about her views of ICE. “I would like them to be gone.”
“Morally I feel like I would struggle,” another potential juror said, before adding that she would be unable to render an impartial verdict in the case.
Several other potential jurors wrestled with whether they could be fair.
“Honestly, and I can’t believe I’m saying this in a courtroom, I don’t trust government like I used to,” one person — who was not dismissed but ultimately was not appointed to sit on the jury — told the judge.
When pressed on whether they would be able to fairly consider the testimony of ICE officers who might testify in the case, one potential juror said they would “have a hard time believing their integrity.”
Despite the skepticism and opposition voiced by many of the dozens of residents questioned, a jury was seated in the case Tuesday afternoon, with the majority of potential jurors telling the judge they could set aside any personal bias they may or may not have throughout the course of the trial.
During opening arguments, prosecutor Travis Wolf attempted to walk the fine line of recognizing Reid’s free speech rights to film and protest the federal officers as they detained non-citizens and explaining why officers felt the need to restrain Reid, suggesting they had “no choice” in the matter.
Despite the lack of contact or physical harm, Wolf argued “all that’s required is a threat” to hurt an officer to satisfy the charge of simple assault. Wolf claimed the threat was Reid kicking up her knee, which he called “offensive touching.”
One of the FBI officers involved in the incident later texted a colleague, calling Reid a “libtard,” Reid’s defense attorney Eugene Ohm told the jury during his opening remarks. He added that officers told Reid upon her arrest that she should “have just minded your business” and later made light of the alleged assault, saying they were “boo-boos.”
Ohm said the knee movement was a reactive motion because of the aggression by the officers, who restrained Reid despite her merely filming and protesting the arrest.
“Ms. Reid was arrested because she stuck her head out,” Ohm said. “And they wanted to pound it back in.”
The trial is expected to conclude by the end of the week.
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