A federal grand jury has refused to indict a Chicago couple arrested throughout a violent protest exterior the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview final month, a uncommon transfer that indicators prosecutors might have overreached in bringing the case.
Ray Collins, 21, and Jocelyne Robledo, 30, a husband and spouse from the South Facet of Chicago, had been every allegedly carrying loaded weapons with them as they scuffled with officers who had been attempting to widen a safety perimeter throughout a melee in late September. Each have lawful permits to hold the firearms.
Their case had been set Wednesday for a preliminary listening to, which not often goes ahead as a result of the U.S. legal professional’s workplace sometimes seeks an indictment from a grand jury.
As a substitute, prosecutors abruptly filed a movement to dismiss the case.
In courtroom Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Brian Havey informed U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Gabriel Fuentes, “Yesterday the federal government introduced a class of prices to the grand jury… a no-bill was returned.”
Fuentes requested Havey “when was the final time this occurred on this district?”
“It occurs periodically, decide” Havey replied.
Collins’ legal professional, Richard Kling, informed the decide he’s grateful the residents of this district “stood up for the rights of the folks to protest and the First Modification.”
The entire prices stem from the identical incident Saturday night exterior the power in Broadview that noticed brokers deploy tear fuel and different weapons on protesters. Federal officers stated {that a} complete of 11 folks had been taken into custody, together with a journalist.
Protesters have held near-daily demonstrations on the ICE facility since DHS introduced earlier this month it was launching “Operation Halfway Blitz” to ramp up enforcement actions focusing on immigrants missing everlasting authorized standing.
Federal brokers have fired tear fuel and baton rounds at protesters, persevering with a pattern of occasions which have turn out to be more and more bodily between officers and demonstrators. The fees additionally got here a day after ICE and Border Patrol brokers made a present of drive downtown.
Havey had requested that Collins be held with out bond, saying he was a hazard to the neighborhood as a result of he “introduced a loaded pistol to a risky scenario.”
“We’re seeing now with these ongoing ICE operations very disturbing and aggressive protests,” Havey stated.
Kling, stated his shopper lives in Englewood and carries his gun for cover. He has a FOID card and hid carry license and by no means leaves residence with out it, Kling stated, however there was no proof he ever brandished it or supposed to make use of it throughout the protest.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Gabriel Fuentes stated it was a “very shut name,” however had ordered Collins held pending trial, saying he confirmed extraordinarily poor judgment bringing a loaded gun to an ICE protest the place tensions had been excessive.
Fuentes famous there was “a bent for ICE to be very aggressive in implementing the legislation and managing these protests, and that it was “not a shock that there was a confrontation” in Broadview that evening.
The decide famous even when Collins had not supposed to make use of his gun, it might have led to catastrophe. “Different folks might have been damage,” he stated.
