Overview
- Federal prosecutors told a judge they will dismiss the conspiracy count against Kat Abughazaleh, Brian Straw, Michael Rabbitt and Andre Martin and will refile a complaint limited to misdemeanor charges.
- By abandoning the conspiracy allegation, prosecutors avoid producing the unredacted grand jury transcripts Judge April Perry had ordered to review how the law was presented to jurors.
- The four defendants had been set for a May 26 trial date, which could change once the new misdemeanor-focused filing is made.
- The charges stem from a Sept. 26 protest outside ICE’s Broadview facility where a group allegedly surrounded an agent’s vehicle and damaged it, according to the indictment.
- This case is part of Operation Midway Blitz, which brought 32 nonimmigration cases in Chicago; many have been cleared, two co-defendants saw charges dropped in March, and U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros denies political motives as defense lawyers call the effort a failure.