LA Grand Juries Are Refusing to Indict ICE Protestors

[LetMyPeopleVote]

trump's DOJ are trying to intimidate ICE protestors. Luckily we have grand jury who are no-billing these attempts

Link to tweet

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/la-grand-juries-are-refusing-to-indict-ice-protestors

A major new development out of Los Angeles, where the LA Times reports that U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has been no-billed by grand juries in some attempted prosecutions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protestors:

The three officials who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity said prosecutors have struggled to get several protest-related cases past grand juries, which need only to find probable cause that a crime has been committed in order to move forward. That is a much lower bar than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard required for a criminal conviction.

But among the most damning revelations in the LA Times article is Essayli ordering a subordinate to ignore the DOJ’s Justice Manual:

On the overheard call, according to the three officials, Essayli, 39, told a subordinate to disregard the federal government’s “Justice Manual,” which directs prosecutors to bring only cases they can win at trial. Essayli barked that prosecutors should press on and secure indictments as directed by U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, according to the three officials.

The Trump administration targeted Los Angeles for heavy-handed immigration enforcement, including deploying the National Guard and active duty marines to the Democratic-run city, that set off mass protests and some street clashes with law enforcement.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I am so pleased to read that some grand juries are refusing to indict Ice protestors.

This is an excellent move for justice.

May it only continue!

[popsdenver]

20. Agree CP

but knowing Trump and his CABAL, they will take this as a challenge to their authority, and next time will have their own bus ready to transport those arrested, directly to the airport where they will have an "Air-Con" plane standing by, and them flown to a detention center totally under MAGAot control like Florida......

It is like they have us by the cojones. Trump is just waiting for a demonstration, (even if it is not violent, but peaceful), so he can enact the Insurrection Act, to ignore the Posse Comatus Act, and activate the entire U.S. Military against the citizens by authorizing Martial Law. across the entire nation.....

And with this Epstein thing gaining legs and not just going away, he is already grasping at straws to divert attention from the Epstein/Trump thing.

Reagan....(Actually HWBush) was a pro at that. Every time he was cornered, and they needed to divert attention, he would deflect attention by doing some BS thing, like an Invasion of Granada.....

Oh, and CP......love your posts......thx

[slightlv]

39. This is how we get the most impact in the justice system.

I'm thrilled to see it!

[Jim__]

2. Great news!! The people can stop Trump!

[SSJVegeta]

3. The next effort will be creating tribunals.

[johnnyfins]

4. Tribunals. Like the one they are going to put

on when they arrest Obama?

[barbtries]

10. i like the ones we'll have

when we get democracy back. It's on my list of demands.

[Hornedfrog2000]

24. Indeed.

Many will be on the list. Capital punishment should be on the table.

[barbtries]

25. not a supporter of the death penalty,

but i won't waste any tears if it comes to pass. all the people they have killed and plan to kill. i sometimes think about mussolini hanged upside down in the public square and think that's too kind of a fate for these fascists.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. I think a slow fade away

At Gitmo or Alligator Alcatraz would suffice. And serve as an example to the maga pub Confederate electorate to sit down, shut up, or you're next.

[NJCher]

41. or saddam coming up from his hidey hole

that's what brings me relaxation and joy.



However, the slobfather is in such poor health that if he had to go to a hidey hole, it would become his grave in about 20".

[JustAnotherGen]

46. I know folks are laughing at his cankles

But my mom was diagnosed with LEWY Syndrome in early 2024'- then died June 5. She was with me for a few weeks in May - and I had to make sure she kept her feet up and iced.

He has all of the markers of the heart failure.

[SheltieLover]

5. Good!

[Solly Mack]

6. Righteous.

[gfarber]

7. Grand Jury

Bill Essayli, a prosecutor so grand,
Had a case that he couldn't get planned.
He told his young crew,
"Ignore what you're due,
And do what Pam Bondi's command!"

Young Bill, a prosecutor so grim,
Had a case that looked awfully dim.
"Ignore the DOJ!" he cried with a scoff,
"And get those indictments! The cuffs won't come off!"
But the grand jury balked at his whim.

[ancianita]

14. Welcome to DU! More, please!

[twodogsbarking]

8. Wait, they are trying to deny justice to people who are not Trrumpers. That is a no no no. No.

Last edited Thu Jul 24, 2025, 03:13 PM - Edit history (1)

[ShazzieB]

17. I would put it a little differently.😉

They are trying to do INjustice to people who are not Trrumpers. And Grand juries are saying, "That is a no no no. No."

[twodogsbarking]

21. Thanks for reading it. I meant to say "deny" instead of "do". I srewed up. Mea culpa.

[ShazzieB]

37. Aww, no apologies needed!

Don't give it another thought!

[barbtries]

9. so, you've got

purported "victims" who are violating the Constitution and reported "perpetrators" who are upholding it by exercising their First Amendment Rights.

easy decision. the wrong people are being prosecuted.

[ShazzieB]

19. Well stated!

[Ping Tung]

11. Now, that's what I call a "GRAND" jury. Bravo.

[questionseverything]

12. This is why we need regular people to answer their jury duty summons!

[swong19104]

13. What is "no billing"?

Anyone?

[ancianita]

15. It takes three seconds to find on Google's DeepMind AI:

In criminal law, a "no bill" from a grand jury is a significant decision indicating that the evidence presented against a defendant is insufficient to justify a trial. It's also known as a "not a true bill".

A grand jury's role is to assess whether there is probable cause to believe a crime has been committed, not to determine guilt or innocence. A "no bill" signifies that the grand jury didn't find enough evidence to establish probable cause.

The immediate consequence of a "no bill" is that the criminal charges are dropped or dismissed. The individual is not formally charged and is spared the need for a trial.

It's crucial to understand that a "no bill" is not the same as an acquittal or a finding of innocence. It simply means the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence at that particular time

Grand jury proceedings, including a "no bill" decision, are usually kept confidential to protect the reputation of individuals investigated but not charged. This means the defendant might not even learn the specific reasons behind the grand jury's decision.

In essence, a "no bill" is a positive outcome for the person being investigated as it halts the criminal proceedings against them, at least for the present. However, it's not a definitive exoneration and carries the possibility of a future indictment if new evidence comes to light.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=What+is+%22no+billing%22+from+a+grand+jury%3F%3F&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[Nittersing]

23. Thanks for asking.

Question are always good.

[nuxvomica]

16. but... but... I thought they could easily indict a ham sandwich

So I guess all those so-called "railroaded" indictments of Trump et al were actually legit.

[SCantiGOP]

22. Jury nullification

That was routinely practiced mid-1800’s by Northern juries when people violated the law by assisting escaped slaves, and many college town juries, like Ann Arbor and Berkeley, would refuse to indict or convict Viet Nam protesters or those who refused draft notices.

[slightlv]

40. And don't forget, in more recent times,

all the jury nullifications of pot charges!

[JustAnotherGen]

26. Good!

[Midnight Writer]

27. Is it "jury nullification" or a righteous reaction to "trumped up" charges?

A lot of these ICE arrests seem to be peaceful, lawful protesters being victimized by over-aggressive and poorly-trained deputized thugs.

Do the authorities in these cases have any evidence that the protesters went beyond their First Amendment Rights?

[ck4829]

29. Jury nullification! We need more of this!

[republianmushroom]

30. Excellent

[questionseverything]

32. Ikr, once in a while, regular people win!

[republianmushroom]

33. Yup and it does ones heart good when it happens

[usonian]

31. Does this mean that Trump can get his NoBill prize?

Dynamite!

[NJCher]

42. that had me

Love a little wordplay.

[usonian]

44. I live for word play.

Just posted in the "Why are Thomas' English Muffins so darn good?" thread in the lounge.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10182204164

Spoiler:
Because they have crooks and nannies, like an Avengers' episode.

A French teacher explained it in French.

A play on words is "Jeu de mots laids" (play on ugly words),
which sounds almost the same as
"Jeu de mollets", which is playing with legs 🦵

[questionseverything]

34. I don't think this is nullification, that happens if jurors believe the defendant technically broke the law

But the jury feels they had a right to do so ( could be for a variety of reasons)

What we have in the article, no true bill means either the jury didn’t believe a crime was committed or didn’t believe the defendant was involved in the crime.

Sadly when I served on grand jury duty, one time we returned a no bill and the prosecutor just took it up with the next grand jury (like 2 months later), and remember grand jury only look at felonies so these were serious crimes people were accused of

[TomSlick]

35. I have never bought the canard that a grand jury would indict a ham sandwich.

The truth is that the probable cause (or as lawyers say probably because) standard for an indictment is low.

The grand jury can be an important check on prosecutorial over-reach. It all depends on how seriously the grand jury takes its responsibility.

That said, failing to get an indictment is a bad day for a prosecutor. They will be offered a lot of ham sandwiches.

[BidenRocks]

36. Can anyone here look at that photo

without thinking, Fuck All Y'All!

[proud patriot]

38. Excellent

this makes me smile

[Initech]

43. Good! The real criminals are ICE and the Trump administration!

Yet they are the ones that keep insisting "no one is above the law". Well, neither are they! Nor are their ass kissing propaganda channels! Justice will come for them soon.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

45. What does "no-bill" mean?

Asking for a friend!

[hatrack]

48. No indictment, so they walk

As noted above, it's a big "Fuck ALL y'all!" to Shitstain's goons.

[Passages]

47. Kick