State and Federal Charges Arising from Politically Motivated Activities are Widespread in Oregon Communities
In Oregon, and across the country, activists have been standing up to police violence, which has taken 40 lives in Portland alone since 2003, by exercising their rights to protest, march, and raise their voices against injustice to enact social change.
These lawful efforts to spark change were vilified by the Trump administration, specifically those related to the ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter movements, leading to some of our residents being charged with crimes that did not fit their politically motivated actions.
On January 6, 2021, then President, Donald Trump — who was impeached for inciting an insurrection directly based on his principal involvement — called on his loyalists to storm the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. seeking to negate the election results that inaugurated President Biden on January 20, 2020.
Since then, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Renn Cannon, stated “We are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals who were involved in the siege of the U.S. Capitol and/or those who may continue to incite violence and engage in criminal activity here locally,” when speaking on potential violence in Oregon during the inauguration and after.
What we know now is, the potential federal charges awaiting the individuals who breached the Capitol include sedition, property damage, firearms crimes, and murder of a police officer.
With the severity of these charges made public, and repeated during most news cycles, any demonstrations by our Oregon residents could be viewed just as harshly and extend into charges that can change their lives.
What Does the FBI Warning Mean to Our Oregon Residents?
In 2020, federal prosecutors filed more charges labeled “domestic terrorism” in Oregon than anywhere else in the country. As the Presidential administration fully changes hands, law enforcement officials at every level are investigating any potential threat of violence to the state capitol, federal buildings, and our shared community as relating to extremism.
This directly affects our residents’ rights to potentially protest their existing positions — no matter which side of the political spectrum they are on — as they could be met with state or federal felony charges, based on law enforcement’s view of the behavior.
At Mark C. Cogan, P.C., our criminal defense attorneys in Oregon are currently representing protesters facing both state and federal charges to ensure their rights are protected now and going forward.
Our residents must understand that their ability to fight state and federal charges alone will become increasingly difficult as all arrests surrounding politically motivated activities could be charged at the highest level based on the law enforcement’s position.
If you have been charged with a state or federal crime in Oregon, contact our experienced criminal defense attorneys to learn more about your actual rights by contacting Mark C. Cogan, P.C. today by calling 503-549-1077 today.
