President Biden’s revamped Department of Justice has quietly dismissed dozens of felony and misdemeanor charges from last year’s Portland rioting using the pandemic and funding as an alleged excuse.
Charges such as arson, assault on a law enforcement officer, and other violent crimes are being dropped. Many of the charges are dismissed with prejudice which means they can’t be re-litigated again in the future essentially providing bullet-proof cover for those charged.
KGW8 is reporting that federal prosecutors have dismissed more than a third of pending charges from violent protests that took place last summer in Portland: “Some of the most serious charges dropped include four defendants charged with assaulting a federal officer, which is a felony. More than half of the dropped charges were “dismissed with prejudice,” which several former federal prosecutors described as extremely rare. “Dismissed with prejudice” means the case can’t be brought back to court.”
31 out of 90 protest cases were dismissed by the Department of Justice, despite their warnings that there would be “consequences for acts of violence.”
(Video Credit: KGW News)
Outgoing U.S. attorney for Oregon Billy Williams was very blunt in an interview stating that “nobody in their right mind thinks this is OK.”
Allegedly, more dismissals are in the works as well. A number of sources in the law enforcement community told KGW8 that this is just the first round of dismissals: “Most of the defendants whose protests cases are still pending have seen their trials delayed, largely because of the pandemic. Those defendants face a mix of felony and misdemeanor charges. Three defendants cut plea deals resulting in probation and home detention. Two of the plea agreements required a relatively short prison sentence of 30 days. Several people closely involved with the protest cases, who asked not to be identified, said they expect many more federal charges to be dismissed soon.”
"More than half of the dropped charges were 'dismissed with prejudice,' which several former federal prosecutors described as extremely rare."
Including felony assult on an LEO. Infuriating. This is part of why violence keeps happening. No consequences. https://t.co/pK41vYzTY3
— Bonnie Blue (@BonnieBlueTK) March 4, 2021
The DOJ entered the fray in Portland as riots devastated the city night after night through the summer of 2020 and beyond. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that he did not intend to prosecute most crimes committed during the riots infuriating local businesses and residents.
Williams sent out a press release in September of 2020 after Attorney General William Barr gave marching orders to federal prosecutors across the country to actively pursue rioters: “Local residents and anyone traveling to Portland with the intent to commit violence are on notice. There will be consequences for acts of violence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting people who impede or assault law enforcement officers, damage federal property, and set fire to buildings. Make no mistake: those who commit violence in the name of protest, will be investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and face prison time. Already more than 100 people have been arrested and more than 80 people are facing federal charges related to protest violence.” That warning now appears to have been mostly posturing with no real weight behind the threat.
This is total BS. Why are taxpayers paying to clean up the millions of dollars in damage they caused if there are no consequences for the offenders? This is borderline insanity. Guess what? They are STILL rioting and vandalizing because there are zero consequences. 🤬
— Ashley H (@Oceangirl32liv1) March 4, 2021
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