The U.S. Justice Department has faced challenges in securing felony convictions against most of the 102 protesters arrested since last year for allegedly assaulting federal officers during demonstrations in four major U.S. cities. Of the 12 cases that went to trial, mostly in Los Angeles, all ended in either acquittal, mistrial, or dismissal. This outcome has surprised legal experts, who note that the Justice Department typically has a strong record in obtaining convictions. The last three felony assault cases, in Los Angeles and Portland, are set to go to trial this fall. The Justice Department's difficulties have raised concerns about the speed and intensity of investigations, particularly under pressure to show the Trump administration's commitment to cracking down on those who attack law enforcement. The department has also encountered broader setbacks in politically sensitive cases, with grand juries declining to return indictments and trial juries often granting acquittals. Mary Fan, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at the University of Washington, pointed out that prosecutors usually succeed because they control which cases they pursue and have considerable resources and discretion. The lack of any felony assault convictions at trial, she said, calls into question "whether or not these charges should have ever been brought in the first place." The Associated Press analyzed the outcomes of 167 arrests, focusing on those made during protests in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Washington, D.C.—cities where former President Donald Trump either sought to or successfully deployed the National Guard. Of the 102 arrests, most were for felony assault on a federal officer, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Of these cases, 41% were dismissed, and 34% were reduced to misdemeanors. Ten people pleaded guilty to felony assault, and nine received prison time. Others were sentenced for charges like arson and obstructing law enforcement. A few defendants have diversion agreements, meaning their cases will be dismissed if they demonstrate good behavior. The Justice Department stated in a press release that federal prosecutors are justified in prioritizing cases involving alleged attacks on federal officers and that "each case is based on the facts." The department also said that if mitigating factors are identified, prosecutors must adjust charges accordingly. Despite the rarity of federal prosecutors losing at trial, juries and judges have not been convinced by the evidence in these cases. In 2024, 82% of defendants charged with felony or misdemeanor assault were convicted at trial or through plea deals, according to data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. However, the AP’s analysis found that less than half of the protesters charged with either felony or misdemeanor assault were convicted. In Portland, a jury could not reach a decision on felony assault charges against Oriana Korol, who was playing the clarinet in a marching band during a protest near an immigration facility last October. After a mistrial, prosecutors reduced the charge to a misdemeanor. Korol pleaded guilty and received a sentence of time served and one year of supervised release. Jonathan Caravello was acquitted of assault on a federal officer after a three-day trial. He was accused of throwing a tear gas canister back at immigration agents during a protest at a Southern California cannabis farm. Caravello said he was trying to keep the canister away from the crowd. Videos showed he tossed it high above the officers, and it landed far behind them. The jury acquitted him quickly. Michael Rabbitt was among six people accused of conspiring to impede a government vehicle near an ICE facility in Chicago. After the government dismissed charges against two defendants, defense attorneys requested transcripts of the grand jury proceedings. The government eventually dropped the conspiracy charge and proceeded with misdemeanor counts. A judge later criticized prosecutors for improper behavior before the grand jury, and the charges were dismissed before trial. Many protesters accepted plea deals to reduce their charges to misdemeanors. While plea deals are common in federal cases, some legal experts suggest that the frequent reduction of felony assault charges may indicate overcharging—filing a more severe initial charge to pressure defendants into accepting a lighter sentence. Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, emphasized that prosecutors should be prepared to prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt when bringing them ethically. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles said it prosecuted these cases in response to a "wave of violence against law enforcement officers who were doing their jobs." Some charges were voluntarily dismissed after further investigation. In Chicago, all but one of 19 felony assault cases were dismissed. The U.S. Attorney’s offices in the Northern District of Illinois, District of Columbia, and Oregon did not respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department has secured notable convictions in other cases, including a man sentenced to five years in prison for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a hotel where federal agents were staying. Others received more than three years for pouring lighter fluid on a burning California Highway Patrol vehicle. Federal judges sentenced eight people to decades in prison for participating in a demonstration in Texas where a police officer was shot in the neck. Three people were convicted of conspiracy to impede or injure an officer during a protest in Spokane, Washington. However, these cases were not included in the AP’s analysis because they did not occur in one of the four cities where Trump tried to or deployed troops.