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Motion to Quash Comes Two Weeks After Arraignment of Three New Prairieland Defendants, Indicted Without Fanfare by the State of Texas CLEBURNE, TX – Lawyers for Prairieland defendant Dario Sanchez filed a motion in State court yesterday to quash two counts of hindering the prosecution of terrorism. Texas District Court Judge William Bosworth ruled last week denying defense efforts to quash Sanchez’s other charge of tampering with physical evidence for removing someone from group text chats. On May 19, Sanchez was re-indicted by the District Attorney for a third time since his arrest in an attempt to clean up a previously flawed…
Two Weeks After Stunning Verdict, Prairieland Defense Lawyers Filed Motions Friday for Judgments of Acquittal and New Trial,Based in Part on Allegations of Juror Misconduct DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX — Lawyers for nine recently convicted defendants in the landmark Prairieland ICE Detention Center protest case filed motions late Friday in an effort to overturn the jury verdicts reached two weeks ago. All defense lawyers filed motions for judgments of acquittal and, in the alternative, a new trial, based on Rule 29 and Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, respectively. Defense lawyers claimed the government failed to enter evidence…
Press Conference and Demonstration Supporting Prairieland Defendants To Be Held Outside Courthouse Today After Closing Arguments FORT WORTH, TX – In a surprise move, the defense rested their case yesterday without calling any witnesses. After ten full days of the prosecution’s case, it was expected that the defense would take at least until the end of the week to present their case, but lawyers abruptly moved for acquittal on all counts. The jury is expected to be sequestered for deliberation as early as today or tomorrow. The verdict is highly anticipated by many, who see the trial’s outcome as precedent-setting…
Defense Case is Vindicated by Testimony from Multiple Cooperating Witnesses, as Prosecution Prepares to Call Controversial Expert Witness on “Antifa” FORT WORTH, TX – Defendants in the landmark Prairieland trial were vindicated by testimony from cooperating state witnesses over the past three days, in a case that stems from a noise demonstration at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas on July 4, 2025. The prosecution called to the stand multiple defendants who have taken cooperating plea deals, affirming many of the defense’s key arguments about the case. The cooperating witnesses clearly stated that the noise demonstration was intended to show solidarity…
Cross-Examination of Government Witnesses Leaves Defendants’ Supporters Feeling Confident as Trial Enters Second Week, Despite Attempts by the Prosecution to Block Defense Strategies FORT WORTH, TX – The first week of trial against nine defendants in the widely watched federal Prairieland ICE Detention Center case continued to expose the contradictions and weaknesses in the government’s arguments, as well as unconstitutional conduct by police. Despite claiming the July 4 protest was an ambush, police witnesses testified last week that little damage was done to the facility and the Detention Center staff was largely ignored. Moreover, the responding officer Lt. Thomas Gross…
Lt. Thomas Gross’Testimony undermined the government’s argument that the noise protest on July 4, 2025 was an “ambush” and a “planned attack” FORT WORTH, TX – Opening arguments and testimony from the Alvarado police officer at the center of the controversial Prairieland ICE Detention Center case marked the first day of trial against nine defendants. The federal government offered no new or compelling arguments in their opening statement and relied heavily on First Amendment-protected activity to make their case. However, during cross-examinination, Alvarado police officer Lt. Thomas Gross revealed information that undermines the government’s narrative that the noise demonstration on July…
Concerns Grow Over Whether Nine Federal Prairieland Defendants Can Receive a Fair Trial Based on Severe Trial Restrictions, Prejudicial Statements at Highest Levels of Government, Press Conference Called for 8am Monday in Advance of Jury Selection FORT WORTH, TX – Nine defendants will proceed to federal trial on Monday in a widely watched case that stems from a July 4, 2025 noise demonstration in support of detained immigrants at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Following a mistrial declared last week by presiding U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman for a defense attorney’s attire featuring civil rights leaders,…
After Expressing Animus Against Defense Counsel, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman Attributed Mistrial to Attire of Single Attorney, Delaying Start of Trial by a Week FORT WORTH, TX – U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman declared a mistrial on Tuesday, February 17th, the first day of jury selection in the Prairieland trial, a federal case involving nine defendants that stems from a July 4, 2025, noise demonstration at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Prairieland is an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility which has received significant criticism for inhumane conditions and mistreatment of detainees, most recently for…
Jury Selection Set to Begin Tuesday, February 17—for a Trial with Severe Public Access Restrictions, Plagued by Prejudicial Statements at Highest Levels of Government—Preceded by a Press Conference at 8:30am FORT WORTH, TX – Nine defendants will proceed to federal trial next week in a widely watched case that stems from a July 4, 2025 noise demonstration in support of detained immigrants at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, February 17, followed by the trial which is expected to last at least three weeks. Defendants Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Autumn…
Just Days Before the Federal Trial Begins, Defense Motions Seek to Supress Evidence, Exclude Codefendant Statements at Trial FORT WORTH, TX — Days before a widely watched federal trial is set to begin in the Prairieland ICE protest case, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Pittman ordered pretrial motions hearings for Tuesday, February 10 and Thursday, February 12. Nine defendants—Savanna Batten, Zachary Evetts, Autumn Hill, Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Daniel “Des” Rolando Sanchez Estrada, Benjamin “Champagne” Song, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto—who were indicted in November on a variety of charges including riot, discharging a firearm, attempted murder, material support for…