SPOKANE, Wash. — A federal jury began deliberating Wednesday the fate of three people charged in connection with last summer’s ICE protest in Spokane.
Jac Archer, Bajun Mavalwalla and Justice Forral face conspiracy charges to impede or injure officers following demonstrations at the federal immigration facility.
Closing arguments concluded Wednesday, and the jury was dismissed for the night before returning Thursday to continue deliberations.
The judge spent Wednesday morning instructing the jury on each element of the conspiracy charge. Prosecutors and defense attorneys then delivered their final arguments about whether the defendants are innocent or guilty.
Key elements of the case
The jury must consider several components of the conspiracy charge, including whether any defendants participated in an agreement to prevent federal agents from performing their duties.
Prosecutors argue that communication between protesters demonstrates coordination. They point to Mavalwalla yelling to protesters about federal agents leaving through the south gate and Archer linking arms with other protesters as evidence of an agreement.
Defense attorneys counter that the actions show no coordination existed. They cite Justice Forral placing benches in front of the south gate and Jac Archer and others removing those items as proof there was no agreement between protesters.
Dispute over use of force
The prosecution maintains that linking arms constitutes using force against federal agents. Defense attorneys argue that merely resisting or tensing up does not constitute using force in this case.
Mavalwalla’s attorney argues that federal agents initiated the physical confrontations with protesters at the south gate. The attorney called it an “act of thuggery” and denied that Mavalwalla elbowed an agent during the altercation.
What’s next
No timeline exists for when the jury will complete deliberations. The court will provide updates as soon as jurors reach a verdict.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to six years in federal prison.
The case stems from protests at the ICE facility in Spokane last summer, where demonstrators gathered to oppose federal immigration enforcement activities.
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