DOJ Failed to Win Felony Convictions Against Most of 102 Protesters Charged With Assaulting Federal Officers

An Associated Press analysis of protest arrests in Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and Washington, D.C., found that the Justice Department failed to secure felony convictions against most of the 102 people charged in 2025 with felony assault on a federal officer. Of those cases, 41% were dismissed and 34% were pleaded down to misdemeanors; ten people pleaded guilty to felony assault and nine received prison time. All of the dozen cases that went to trial, mostly in Los Angeles, ended in acquittal, mistrial or dismissal, and fewer than half of protesters charged with felony or misdemeanor assault were convicted, compared with 82% of federal assault defendants in 2024. The Justice Department said prosecutors are right to prioritize cases against people accused of assaulting federal officers and that “each case is based on the facts.”