...
By Jordan King
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A federal judge in Texas declared a mistrial on Tuesday after defense lawyer MarQuetta Clayton wore a T-shirt displaying images from the civil rights movement.
In the case, prosecutors have accused nine defendants of being part of a "North Texas Antifa cell" after a demonstration at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in July last year.
Clayton's T-shirt depicted images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm according to the local newspaper Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Read More on News
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman said on Tuesday that the garment could bias jurors by equating the actions of civil rights figures with those of the defendants.
Newsweek has contacted Clayton, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
...
Why It Matters
The mistrial forces the process to restart, delaying proceedings in a case that includes allegations ranging from rioting to attempted murder. It will also cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, Pittman said.
This case is one of the first federal prosecutions testing the government’s use of terrorism charges in connection with alleged “Antifa” activity at an immigration detention facility.
What To Know
Pittman, a Trump-appointed federal judge, abruptly sent the jury out during the defense's voir dire questioning. He noted Clayton’s shirt, which displayed black-and-white images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Shirley Chisholm, and said it risked biasing jurors.
Pittman compared the shirt’s message to a prosecutor appearing with pro-ICE or pro-Trump symbols and said defense attorneys would be outraged over this, according to The Guardian.
“I don’t think I have any choice but to declare a mistrial,” he said. “This has to be a first in the history of American jurisprudence, I would think.”
Pittman also said Clayton had tried to show a poster board depicting scenes of protest that had not been shown to the judge or the prosecution first, according to CBS News Texas, which reported that Clayton left the courthouse with her T-shirt inside-out.
The mistrial was declared after jury selection began on Tuesday morning with 75 potential jurors.
The case is over an “ambush” at Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado on July 4 last year, during which an officer was shot and injured.
FBI Director Kash Patel last October on X at the time that the defendants were "anarchist violent extremists."
Five other defendants connected with the incident have already pleaded guilty but could still testify in cooperation with prosecutors, according to CBS News Texas.
Who Is MarQuetta Clayton?
MarQuetta “MarQ” Clayton is a Texas-based lawyer and Democratic candidate for judge of the Texas 371st District Court. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma and a law degree from Texas A&M University School of Law. Her legal career has included work as a criminal defense attorney, family law attorney, prosecutor and as an Assistant County Attorney in Hood County before founding and managing her own firm, The Clayton Law Firm, accoridng to her website's profile.
What People Are Saying
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman said: "If you think I want a mistrial, you're crazy.”
Prospective juror Harrison Stables, who was dismissed from the case, told CBS News Texas: "It all just felt disorganized because she pulled out a sign that wasn't approved by the court, the court had no idea that she was bringing in a sign. It just felt all disheveled."
Kash Patel said in an X post about the case last October: “First time ever: the FBI arrested Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremists and terrorism charges have been brought for the July 4 Prairieland ICE attack in Texas.
“Under President Trump’s new authorities we’ve made 20+ arrests. No one gets to harm law enforcement. Not on my watch.”
What Happens Next
The judge will restart jury selection with a new panel on Monday at 9 a.m., resetting the federal case’s timeline by at least a week.
If the trial proceeds, prosecutors will present evidence and testimony, including from defendants who previously pleaded guilty, while defense teams will likely challenge the terrorism framing and emphasize First Amendment protest rights.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines