Jury deadlocks on case of border activist charged with helping migrants
A federal jury said Tuesday it couldn't reach a verdict on the charges against Scott Warren, a border activist who was charged with conspiracy to transport and harbor migrants. Warren said he was providing two people with water, food and shelter.
Warren, 36, had faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the charges. The jury deliberated for over 15 hours.
It's unclear if the federal government will retry the case.
Prosecutors alleged Warren conspired to harbor two migrants and claimed they were not in distress at the time. Warren was arrested in May 2018, only hours after activists released videos of border patrol agents kicking over water jugs meant for immigrants, CBS Tucson, Arizona, affiliate KOLD-TV reports.
Warren said he was providing humanitarian aid in a harsh stretch of the Arizona desert.
The group Warren works with, No More Deaths, tweeted that the hung jury demonstrates "there are Arizonans standing their ground for justice and kindness in a historic moment."