US EditionText messages and a moved SUV: How the government’s case against a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent fell apart
The case collapsed due to mishandling of evidence and incriminating agent texts; at least nine similar protest-related charges in Chicago were dropped, officials said.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis dismissed the federal charges against Marimar Martinez in Chicago after prosecutors requested dismissal following hearings where she raised case concerns.
- The defense focused on how the agent's SUV was moved, arguing Exum's damaged SUV was driven more than 1,000 miles to Maine and Judge Alexakis flagged inconsistent government explanations.
- Text messages displayed in court earlier this month showed Exum appearing to boast, saying `I take pride in my shooting skills` after the charging complaint said he fired five times at Martinez.
- Legal analysts said the dismissal likely reflected doubts about proving justified force, as legal experts told CNN it stemmed from questionable government claims and joins cases dropping charges against at least nine protest-related defendants in Chicago.
- The U.S. Attorney's Office said it's reviewing Operation Midway Blitz-related facts, while academics and public observers raised serious questions about agents' narratives and DHS public claims.
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Judge Dismisses Charges Against Chicago Woman Shot By Border Patrol
Source: Anadolu / Getty In early September, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Saying it has not gone smoothly would be an understatement. Border Patrol’s aggressive use-of-force tactics in Chicago have repeatedly landed them in court. One of the most notable cases involves Marimar Martinez, a woman who was shot several times by Border Patrol agents, who accused her and An…
Federal prosecutors in Chicago on Thursday dismissed one of the most prominent criminal cases stemming from the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign, a case officials have used to insist that deployed agents were under attack. Since early October, Marimar Martinez, 30, and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, had faced an assault charge for allegedly following a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum. They allegedly…
Text messages and a moved SUV: How the government’s case against a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent fell apart
A wide grin was plastered on Marimar Martinez’s face Thursday as she thanked her attorneys outside an Illinois courtroom and told reporters, “I’m just blessed. I’m happy.”
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