Overview
- Prosecutors disclosed that three separate federal grand juries in Washington returned no true bills on a proposed felony assault charge against Sydney Reid, then filed a misdemeanor information under 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1) within the 30-day window.
- The alleged July 22 incident occurred outside the D.C. jail during an ICE/FBI transfer, with charging documents asserting Reid pushed an FBI agent’s hand against a cement wall, causing lacerations, while a magistrate judge had earlier found probable cause for a felony.
- Reid’s defense attorneys praised the grand juries’ decisions and said they look forward to trying the misdemeanor case before a petit jury to clear her name.
- A hearing before Magistrate Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan is set for Thursday morning, with the downgraded case now able to proceed without grand-jury approval.
- The outcome underscores scrutiny of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s tougher charging approach in D.C., with reporters also noting a separate failure to secure a felony indictment in the high-profile Sean Dunn sandwich-throwing case.