The U.S. Justice Department has failed to secure felony convictions against the majority of 102 protesters arrested in four major cities last year on charges of assaulting federal authorities. An analysis by the Associated Press found that the department’s success rate in these cases was lower than the national average for federal assault prosecutions. All 12 cases that proceeded to trial in cities like Los Angeles and Portland ended in acquittals, mistrials, or dismissals.
The arrests occurred during protests in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Washington, D.C., where the Trump administration deployed or sought to deploy the National Guard. Then-Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that individuals who interfered with federal law enforcement would face "severe consequences." The Justice Department maintained that it prioritizes cases involving assaults on officers, though it acknowledged that prosecutors must act to downgrade or drop charges if mitigating factors are identified.
Data shows that while 82% of federal assault defendants were convicted in 2024, less than half of the protesters in this group faced convictions. Of the 102 felony assault cases tracked, 41% were dismissed and 34% were pleaded down to misdemeanors. Ten individuals pleaded guilty to felony assault, and nine received prison sentences. In individual cases, such as those of Michael Rabbitt in Chicago and Jonathan Caravello in California, judges and juries found insufficient evidence to support felony charges.
The scale of this legal activity involved 167 total arrests across four cities, with the Justice Department shifting resources toward these cases amid a reported increase in assaults on federal personnel. According to the Department of Homeland Security, assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel rose to 238 in one year, up from 19 the previous year. However, the lack of felony convictions at trial sets a precedent regarding the difficulty of proving intent in protest environments, potentially influencing how future federal protest-related crimes are charged.
The day-to-day impact for protesters includes the financial and emotional burden of defending against felony charges that some legal experts say signal overcharging. While the government secured some felony convictions for arson and serious injuries, such as a case in Texas where a police officer was shot, the broader effort resulted in dozens of cases being resolved as misdemeanors with little to no jail time. The remaining three felony assault cases in Los Angeles and Portland are scheduled to go to trial this fall.