From a thrown sandwich to a House probe: D.C. groups accused of coaching jurors to acquit

A House committee says two D.C. activist groups are training residents to get onto juries and vote to acquit defendants.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee accused Free DC and Harriet’s Wildest Dreams on Tuesday of suborning jury nullification. Rep. James Comer, Kentucky Republican and committee chairman, sent demand letters seeking the groups’ training materials.

Mr. Comer said the groups may have helped train a juror in the trial that acquitted Sean Dunn, the former Justice Department employee caught on video slinging a submarine sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.

The Washington Examiner reported that a Harriet’s Wildest Dreams legal defense coordinator said at an August session that a past trainee sat on Mr. Dunn’s jury. Trainer Qiana Johnson told attendees they have a “superpower” to nullify a jury, the newspaper reported.

Mr. Comer said urging jurors to hide an intent to acquit subverts the right to an impartial jury.

Free DC called jury duty “a powerful tool for ensuring fairness and justice” in a social media post.

The Washington Times has sought comment from both groups.

D.C. juries have been a hurdle for the Trump Justice Department. A grand jury refused to indict six Democratic members of Congress this year, and grand juries declined three times to indict Sidney Lori Reid, who was later acquitted of a misdemeanor.

Read more:

• Are these groups training jurors to acquit on purpose? A House committee wants answers