US EditionJury clears Virginia man charged with soliciting assassination of President Trump
Peter Stinson was found not guilty after a two-day trial over social media posts accused of encouraging violence against President Trump, highlighting First Amendment free speech debates.
- On Wednesday, a federal jury in Alexandria unanimously acquitted Peter Stinson, retired Coast Guard officer, after deliberating for less than a day, returning a not-guilty verdict.
- The Department of Justice charged Peter Stinson in June over social media posts from 2020 to 2025 flagged by investigators as encouraging violence after his arrest for comments wishing President Trump's death.
- After acquittal, Peter Stinson told reporters `I'm absolutely thrilled that the jury acquitted me and found me not guilty` and said `I did a lot of s**t posting.`
- Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis released Peter Stinson on bail over Department of Justice objections and expressed concerns about the case's adequacy, while defense lawyers argued the comments were hyperbole.
- The acquittal may shape future cases over threatening speech and protected rhetoric, as legal scholars nationwide tracked the case as a First Amendment free-speech question and Peter Stinson, longtime Coast Guard and FEMA instructor, says he will continue to protest against President Donald Trump.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Jury in Halligan’s district acquits man of soliciting Trump’s assassination on social media
The Justice Department has taken a series of legal losses in President Donald Trump’s second term, including a shocking streak of failures even to get indictments past grand juries in cases of alleged assaults on Trump-backed law enforcement officers.
Jury clears Virginia man charged with soliciting assassination of President Trump
A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, acquitted a man who suggested someone should kill President Donald Trump after his attorneys argued that speech was Constitutionally-protected.
Fmr Coast Guard Officer Who Threatened Trump Online Acquitted
A federal jury on Wednesday acquitted a former Coast Guard lieutenant who had called for President Donald Trump’s assassination on social media, accepting his argument that the posts were protected under the First Amendment, The Washington Post reported.
wjr.com
Ex-Coast Guard Officer Who Threatened Trump Acquitted
A federal jury acquitted a former Coast Guard lieutenant who, after calling for President Donald Trump's assassination on social media, argued that his posts were protected by the First Amendment, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors in Virginia allege that Peter A. Stinson, a retired Coast Guard sharpshooter, repeatedly urged for the Trump's assassination in online posts since 2020. Stinson's public defenders claimed t…
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