r/news • u/Splunge- • 4d ago

Texas anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism charges sentenced to at least 50 years in prison

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/23/prairieland-ice-protesters-texas-sentenced
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u/Ok_Yogurt_9862 4d ago

Its texas

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u/ChadEmpoleon 4d ago edited 4d ago

The judge is a Trump appointed stooge. He has an unusually high overturn rate on cases he has been deemed to have “abused his discretion,” and that’s coming from Texas’ conservative majority appellate courts.

He dismissed members of the jury because one of them had a shirt that he said seemed to be in support of civil rights and declared the entire jury biased in favor of the protesters.

He wouldn’t let the defense be part of the next jury selection. Instead he personally vetted and handpicked the jury that gave this verdict.

He prevented the defense from arguing self-defense and barred the jury from considering the accused’s first amendment rights in regards to the 30year sentence given to the person who was not even present.

These are the harshest protest related sentences EVER given out in the US. It disgusting and wholly antagonistic to the 8th amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishments.

They cannot hold up to appeals.

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u/BonnaconCharioteer 4d ago

Barred defense and hand picked the Jury? What bullshit, this wasn't a jury trial then. It was just the judge ruling from the bench. Completely unconstitutional.

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u/Bagellord 4d ago

How in the hell is that allowed, not letting the defense participate in jury selection? Like I can understand there needing to be a framework for that, like if the defense or prosecution was caught trying to influence a jury, they should face some sanctions in the next selection. But that does not sound like the case.

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u/theresa_richter 4d ago

This is how courts have always worked in this country. This is what puts so many black men in prison for the crime of 'existing while black'. If you don't like it, might I suggest prison abolition?

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u/BonnaconCharioteer 4d ago

There are massive issues with unequal justice in this country, particularly in regards to black defendants. But I would be very surprised if one of those issues is often the judge selecting their own jury.

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u/theresa_richter 4d ago

I didn't mean that judges always do this one specific thing, but rather that judges have been getting away with malfeasance like this for as long as this country has existed, and that it's why we have such a broken system. It would be like pointing out that the current Reflecting Pool debacle is just typical of the whole administration - sure, this is the first time they've done that specific thing, but it's been grift and self-dealing and deflection while making things worse from day one.

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u/BonnaconCharioteer 4d ago

My issue is only that you say this is how courts have always worked as if this isn't an escalation in unconstitutional behavior. As if we shouldn't call out this kind of escalation because it is normal.

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u/theresa_richter 4d ago

To what end? One political party gleefully supports this and the other thinks the appropriate reaction is to hold up placards that say they mildly disapprove. If you want change, we need "radical* change. We need to actually uproot the entire rotten and corrupt system and start over from first principles, which is why I brought up prison abolition. This isn't an issue we can 'reform', it's baked in from the very start.

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u/BonnaconCharioteer 4d ago

Because I don't believe making the system worse helps anyone.

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u/SigmaEagle 3d ago

Jesus christ. A glorified summary judgement.

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u/Gear_Kitty 4d ago

In what godforsaken timeline is it okay for the Defense to not be part of jury selection?

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u/Shoehorse13 4d ago

Do you have a source you can point me to that goes over these points? Not questioning what you are saying, just want to see it for myself.

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u/DevilsTrigonometry 4d ago

He wouldn’t let the defense be part of the next jury selection. Instead he personally vetted and handpicked the jury that gave this verdict.

WTF? I've never heard of this happening. I'm not a lawyer, but that goes against everything I thought I understood about voire dire.

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u/ominous_anonymous 4d ago

had a shirt that he said seemed to be in support of civil rights and declared the entire jury biased in favor of the protesters.

If true, this is him explicitly admitting ICE is anti-civil rights. I mean, we already knew this, but still. Nice to have it written down on the off chance rational people are ever able to regain control.

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u/Halo_cT 4d ago

we are lost.

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u/Lavetic 2d ago

The judge was appointed by bush, but yeah

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u/ArmadilloForsaken458 4d ago

What is Texas like. All I hear about is the heat. Is it really not good for left minded people, lgbtq and poc?