Judge Dismisses Charges Against White Supremacist Group Members, Citing Selective Prosecution

A federal judge in California has ordered the release of members from the Rise Above Movement, highlighting concerns over unequal treatment of far-right and far-left groups.

• Federal Judge Cormac J. Carney dismissed charges against members of the Rise Above Movement, a militant white supremacist group, for the second time in five years.
• The judge accused the U.S. Attorney’s Office of selective prosecution, favoring charges against far-right groups over far-left groups like Antifa.
• Prosecutors argued the defendants engaged in a coordinated campaign of violence at political rallies, which was not protected under the First Amendment.
• The dismissal has sparked controversy, with previous efforts by Judge Carney to throw out the charges being overruled by appellate judges.
• Prosecutors have appealed Carney’s latest ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, continuing the legal battle over the charges.

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Orange County Register Associated Press Los Angeles Times