Outside the courthouse where a jury had just convicted three Spokanites of a federal conspiracy, folks wept, screamed and committed to continue advocating for freedom of speech.
Justice Forral, Jac Archer and Bajun Mavalwalla II had been found guilty of “conspiracy to impede or injure officers using threat, force or intimidation.” The charges stemmed from their protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) unlawful detainment of two immigrants last summer.
The protesters had responded to a Facebook post asking Spokane community members to block federal officers from taking two Venezuelan immigrants, Cesar Alvarez Perez and Joswar Rodriguez Torres, to be processed for deportation in a Tacoma ICE facility. The two men were in the US legally and a district court later ruled that Torres had been wrongfully detained. (Perez had already been deported.)
At the protest, federal agents pushed and shoved protesters, hundreds of whom had demonstrated alongside the three, and local law enforcement shot them with “less-lethal” ammunition and smoke canisters. Spokane police and county deputies arrested 31 protesters that night on local charges. A month later, the federal government charged nine people with felony conspiracy. Six took plea deals in December, and most of the local charges against other protesters for failure to disperse were later dropped.
Local leaders said the verdict threatens to erode free speech rights in the US: if responding to a social media post imploring people to demonstrate against an injustice amounts to conspiracy, what does that mean for the fundamental American right to protest?
“We are heartbroken,” said hadley morrow, a Spokane community organizer. “We are outraged. And we are resolved to keep working.”
morrow emphasized that the protests represented social values rather than criminality.
“We know that these acts of community are not conspiracy,” they said. “The protest at the ICE office last June was community in action. A true testament to how Spokane shows up.”
From the outside, Mavalwalla II, Archer and Forral seemed resolved and calm. Dressed in a black blazer, a pink dress shirt and a tie, Mavalwalla II smiled wanly as he walked out of the courthouse with his dad.
Left photo: Dual Bajun Mavalwallas exit the Tom Foley Federal Courthouse after the younger, left, was convicted of conspiracy charges. (Photo by Sandra Rivera.) Right photo: Justice Forral, who was convicted on federal conspiracy charges May 28, shares their copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” with David Brookbank and Jim Leighty outside the federal courthouse. (Photo by Sandra Rivera.)
But the community’s emotions were still raw. Judy Rohrer, the former director of the Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Department at Eastern Washington University, walked around the apron of the Tom Foley Courthouse and wept, despairing for the fate of American democracy.
Along with grief came anger. Mavalwalla Sr. ended up escorting his son’s partner from the press conference after some said law enforcement had approached her about being too upset. She screamed that she’s allowed to be angry “that an all-white jury fucking convicted my husband of a bullshit crime.” (Note: Several people have been saying the jury was all white, but RANGE identified one person of color on the jury who served in this case.)
At a later community rally at A.M. Cannon Park in North Spokane, community leader Angel Tomeo Sam, who local cops arrested during the June 11 protest, reflected on the weight of the verdicts handed out Thursday.
“Being a bystander there, all I saw was federal agents — ICE agents, Border Patrol — I just saw them brutalizing people,” she said. “We were doing the right thing that day.”
The guilty verdicts were devastating, Tomeo Sam said.
“They are not criminals,” she said. “These are people who love. … All the things they do are rooted in love.”
The Spokane 3 case is expected to set precedent for other cities and other defendants who face similar circumstances while standing up for what's right, she noted.
Gesturing to the crowd in the park, Tomeo Sam stressed the importance of the gathering and how resting, reaching out and holding hands is resistance, too.
"I know it's hard to fight a federal case, and we are in a time right now where the obvious things just don't seem obvious to those who make these kinds of decisions," she said. “I think appeals are going to be really important,” she added. “If we’re gonna win this, we have to look outside of the usual parameters of what Rule 29 provides.”
“Rule 29” is a motion that allows a defendant to ask the judge to overturn a guilty verdict and argue the government had not proven its case. The defendants are filing that motion, which will be heard in July.
The day before the verdict, people on the streets had said a guilty verdict would have been unconscionable.
During the court lunch break on May 27, around the time the lawyers were preparing their final arguments, Mavalwalla I talked to a woman on the courthouse’s apron. Mavalwalla I is challenging congressional Republican Michael Baumgartner for the Fifth District seat that represents Spokane in the US House of Representatives.
“It was crazy they were talking about ‘common sense’ in the courtroom,” the woman said to him.
He responded, rhetorically agreeing with her: “What were they trying to prove? Conspiracy. … Conspiracy does not happen by way of telepathy.”
In an interview with RANGE late last year, Mavalwalla I had said the case carries significant implications to American citizens’ freedom to express themselves.
“They want to frighten people so they are afraid to use their First Amendment rights,” Mavalwalla I had said.
At the Spokane ICE office several blocks northeast of the courthouse, Spokane resident Phoebe Brusca had held a sign opposing ICE. RANGE asked her what she thought about the trial and the broader immigration crackdown the Trump administration is waging.
In response, she turned to the ICE building, flipped it the bird and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Fuck you, motherfuckers. You’re racist sons of bitches.”
Brusca was not standing outside of the ICE building because of the Spokane 3 trial — she’s part of a small group of demonstrators who protest there every Wednesday.
Many Spokanites were on their toes to respond to protests in case a verdict was reached late in the afternoon on May 27. A training exercise that sent a convoy of Spokane police, Washington State Patrol officers and Spokane County Sheriff deputies racing around town added to that lingering apprehension.
The long time it took for the jury to reach a verdict on the afternoon of May 27 and May 28 proved to signal bad news for the defendants. But their fate is still uncertain.
The charges carry a potential six years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine. The protesters will appeal the verdict, and the judge could possibly overturn it in the Rule 29 hearing,
The streets weren’t the only arena in which people responded to the verdict. Elected officials, candidates for office and various groups also responded to the verdict via social media and at press conferences. Here’s what they said, verbatim. They’re organized in the following order:
- Statements made at the press conference
- Those made by current city and state elected lawmakers
- By candidates for public office
- Other organizations and people
Bajun Mavalwalla I, Mavalwalla II’s father and Congressional Candidate for WA’s 5th District: (Note: Our audio cut out and we may have missed a segment of the beginning of his statement.) “I can only speak on behalf of myself, not on behalf of any of these wrongly convicted- My feeling is that we still have the American justice system.
There is still the right to appeal. There is still Rule 29. What has happened today is a jury has been lied to. The prosecution suppressed the most important salient facts in this case. Number one, that the first US attorney, Richard Barker, resigned rather than to prosecute this case, and that information was suppressed from the jury.
They were not allowed to hear that. The jury was also given lies. The information that the FBI presented to them, conflated information, put red herrings out there for them, all kinds of fallacies, and it was overwhelming. They put stuff up that didn't happen. Just as an example, they put a slide up that has a picture of my son at 2:00 PM at the white bus, except my son didn't get there till 5:00.
And they did this to all of them. They did this to Jac, they did this to Justice, they did this to my son, and they did it because they were intentionally lying. And the FBI knew that, and the prosecutors in this case knew that. If they had integrity, they would've resigned like Richard Barker did.
So what we need to do now is know the next steps. The judge has the opportunity, and I have no complaints about the judge. I have no complaints about the jury. This is our system, but the jury was not given the information necessary to reach a fair verdict.
[Alexandra Duggan from the Spokesman asked: Bajun, do you feel like this was a result of the Trump administration ordering all 93 US attorneys to prosecute, um, protests and immigration cases?Do you feel like that has a result-]
How could it be anything else? An order came down from Pam Bondi that said, "You will prosecute anybody who protests against ICE." This is the first one in the country. People in Spokane, people in Eastern Washington need to understand that we were guinea pigs, that they brought the swamp of Washington, DC into our area to stop American citizens from exercising our rights that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
It was the whole point of the Constitution, the right to protest, the right to dissent, the right to assemble. All of those things are now in question because of this case. And in other cases across the country, the juries were not tainted, and the cases have been thrown out. I am confident that this will still work because our justice system does work, but we need to let everybody know.
The important part is that the only part of our government that is functioning is the Fourth Estate. That's the part that isn't part of the government. That is the free press, and it is all of our responsibility to tell everybody we know what has happened here. It's not a travesty of justice. It is an incomplete function of justice.
So now the fight has to begin in earnest, and we have extraordinarily brave people here today. Jac and Justice and my son have taken the brunt of the entire weight of the United States government onto their shoulders on our behalf. My son fought in Afghanistan for this country. He held a top secret security clearance and has never been in trouble with the law, and these people call him an insurrectionist, and that is unconscionable, and it's un-American.
What we fought for, what my son is standing for, what Justice is standing for, what Jac is standing for, are the freedoms that separate this country from the dictatorships and the banana republics of this planet. I really appreciate you all coming out here today. It means a great deal to me. You all are on the forward edge of the struggle for a free America.
Thank you for all coming out and showing support.”
(Audio below.)
Spokane City Council Member Sarah Dixit, from a speech at the press conference: I was a protester on June 11. I've been a community organizer in this city for around 10 years, and I've organized alongside many of you, including the three folks that were unjustly convicted today. I truly didn't know what to expect today. I think all of us are in that boat. To hear those charges against our friends and our loved ones and hear them described in such a way is disgusting. For those of us who were there that day you know what we saw. We saw community. We saw people sharing popsicles and snacks and water to make sure people weren't passing out from heat. We even saw people taking the time and care to pass out sunscreen, to protect folks from sunburn. It showed a lot of community love and care and it certainly was not conspiracy.
Those of us in the courtroom and following the coverage have seen videos of violence and obscene language. It wasn’t carried out by the three who were on trial, it was done by law enforcement and ICE agents and sheriff's deputies. All of whom live in our community, and for some reason don't see the beauty we have here and how powerful it was that day. We know that throughout the country, people are going to be prosecuted, and they're going to fight back to this. I want us to remember that while they might come after us, it does not mean we will run away. That is what they want.
This community shows up for one another, and I know that in the face of fascism, we will not scurry away like they want us to. It's important locally, statewide, federally to be active and make sure that we can do everything we can to protect our community members. If you have an idea or a way that we can show solidarity with our community, that we can protect our community locally — whether it is with an ordinance, or a program, or a project, or anything for this city — talk to me. I was elected because of all of you, and I am there for this community. I am there for the people who are marginalized, and voiceless and persecuted.
I send my love to the three folks who were on trial today and to their families and their loved ones who have been impacted. Thank you all for taking the time to come out here and show support. I know it can't be easy, people have work, and families, and responsibility, but it truly means a lot, so thank you.
(Audio below.)
Third Legislative District of WA representative and incumbent candidate Natasha Hill: “I am absolutely disappointed and disgusted with this prosecution. We know they targeted our activists in order to undermine our ability to organize in our community so that we could utilize our First Amendment rights, our right to use our voice, our right to assemble and our right to resist the unlawful and illegal detention and kidnapping of any of our neighbors, whether they're immigrant, refugee, Native, Black, other, doesn't matter.
I thought we'd grown a lot more. As somebody who grew up in this community, born and raised in Hillyard, fourth generation, we’ve got a lot of anti-racism work to do. And to see a member of Spokane Community Against Racism, a professional organizer who testified not only in their defense but as an expert to face more racism and anti-ism with an all-white jury, not of their peers, not of their peers.
But that's what you get in this region. You don't get equity And if you're a person of color, you get targeted. And if you have different identities, you get targeted. And it is the community that I have seen showing up and observing and supporting. It's not the people in positions who have a lot of power.
It wasn't Ben Stuckart. I ain't seen him. Yeah, it's fucking bullshit. Yeah. Absolutely. It's fucking bullshit. You started this, and you couldn't even show up to finish it. So I call on you, and I call on others to do what you said you were gonna do and stand up for your community because this fight is not over with this conviction.
That's not where it stops. That's not how the process works. And I know that everyone who's been showing up is gonna continue to show up and continue fighting right alongside these three community members who stood up for the two young men who were kidnapped from our community.
(This statement is MUCH longer, so we’re cutting it here and embedding the audio so can listen to the whole thing here.)
Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown: “Since the federal charges were filed, I have maintained this prosecution was politically motivated. It was meant to make an example out of people who disagreed with federal immigration policy. The right to peacefully protest and criticize the government is a cornerstone of our democracy. We cannot allow these verdicts to silence us.”
City Council President Betsy Wilkerson: “I know emotions are high today. My hope is that we continue to show up for one another with dignity, fairness and respect. Keep in mind, some of the most important chapters in our nation's history were written by people advocating for change.
Today's verdict concludes an important chapter in a case that has drawn significant public attention and no doubt strong feelings throughout the community.
Regardless of where people stand on the verdict, Spokane must remain committed to the principles that strengthen democracy, to continue civic engagement, speak out, organize and advocate for the change they want to see.
I encourage my fellow Spokane residents to remain peaceful, respectful and engaged. We have more work to do in community.”
Council Member Paul Dillon: “The guilty verdict of the Spokane 3 is a horrific injustice, and this was always a political prosecution. We all must stand together against fascism and care for our communities.”
Council Member Zack Zappone: “Let's be clear. The federal government is trying to scare us with these charges. Federal agents were illegally detaining immigrants who came to our community ‘the right way.’
Peaceful protest is a core part of our identity. I maintain that peaceful protest is still valuable.
We cannot let these verdicts silence us from standing up for what we believe in, what is right and what is just.”
Democratic candidate for the Third Legislative District of Washington’s House of Representatives Luc Jasmin III: "This verdict is deeply distressing. The jury and judge have raised serious concerns for me. So much for justice. Appeal!"
Candidate for the Sixth Legislative District of Washington’s House of Representatives Jonathan Bingle: “I see a lot of local leaders decrying this case for being politically motivated. But it’s important to remember that this verdict did not come from a politician or government agency. It came from a jury of their peers after hearing the evidence presented in court.
Just because you don’t like the outcome doesn’t mean it’s fascism.
Now, peacefully protesting is a right recognized by the constitution and should be protected. But, impeding law enforcement from fulfilling their lawful duty is not protected protest, it’s criminality.
Don’t do that.”
Candidate for WA’s Fifth Congressional District Kevin Fagan: “Today's guilty verdict against Jac Archer, Justice Forral and Bajun Mavalwalla Il is a sobering moment for Spokane - and for every American who believes in the right to peacefully protest.
These three neighbors showed up on June 11, 2025, to stand with two young Venezuelan men who were in this country legally. They did what many of us were raised to believe was right: they showed up. For that, the federal government has now secured conspiracy convictions that could send them to prison for up to six years each.
A guilty verdict does not erase what this prosecution represents. It makes the questions it raises more urgent - and it makes our obligation to speak out more necessary than ever.
Using conspiracy charges to criminalize protest is a tactic with a long and troubling history in this country — and it has no place here. The body camera footage from that day showed conduct from law enforcement that the prosecution itself called "horrendous." When that footage exists and the protesters are still the ones facing federal prison, our community deserves to ask hard questions about how justice is being applied.
I stand with Jac, Justice, and Bajun today — and I will continue to stand with them through whatever comes next.”
Former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, one of the original indicted defendants: “I feel awful about the guilty verdict. I feel awful for Jac, Bajun and Justice and their families. I support those that took plea deals and I support those that went to trial.
I wish I could have attended the trial and press conference after the verdict. My parole officer was clear that if the defendants came outside and I was there I would be violating my parole.
Randy (Joswar) is still living with us and we talk to Cesar every single morning. They are grateful for those that stood up for them on June 11th. I am trying my best to finish what I started by taking care of the guys the government wrongfully took.
Hugs to everyone !!”
Western States Center: “We are outraged by today’s verdict in the Spokane 3 trial.
Since June 11, 2025, when local community members in Spokane, WA gathered to protest the detention of two young men in the U.S. legally, federal law enforcement has sought to criminalize community members who acted out of concern for their immigrant neighbors and a belief in nonviolent collective action.
This trial outcome is another troubling sign of federal escalation to chill free speech and dissent. Across our country, as Americans have sought to bear witness to and peacefully counter aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics, we’ve seen Members of Congress pepper-sprayed in AZ and NJ, a union president arrested in Los Angeles, a family-friendly labor rally tear-gassed in Portland, OR, bystanders killed in Minneapolis, and now community activists and nonprofit staff in Spokane convicted on conspiracy charges.
We’re holding the Spokane community close, and we know that many people are angry and hurt, grieving this outcome, and worried about the future. We encourage our community to respond with care for one another and a commitment to deescalate tensions and keep each other safe. Moments like this are designed to create fear and isolation. Instead, we choose solidarity and peaceful resolve. We choose community and courage. And we remain committed to defending democracy, immigrant justice, and civil rights.”
ACLU of Washington: “Three individuals, Bajun Mavalwalla II, Jac Archer and Justice Forral, were charged and subsequently convicted of felony conspiracy charges in connection with a protest outside a federal facility over the transfer of two men who were legally in the country to an immigration detention center. This trial took place against the backdrop of numerous attempts by the Trump Administration to deploy the Department of Justice to silence critics of the Administration and its agenda.”
Legal Director of the Washington ACLU La Rond Baker: “While we respect the decision of the jury, this matter is not over. We remain concerned about the chilling effect that the Department of Justice’s charging decisions will have on protest and free expression in this country. The Administration has a demonstrable history of using the Department of Justice to silence and punish its critics. Using the power of government to deter criticism is undemocratic and counter to the values of our state and the country.”
Spokane County Democrats: “The guilty verdict of the Spokane Three was an appalling injustice that was meant to intimidate those who dare to speak up against the unlawful immigration enforcement from the Trump Administration that causes so much cruelty and trauma in our communities.
We stand with Justice, Jac and Bajun and know the fight continues.”
