I’m at DC federal courthouse where a jury is due to issue a verdict imminently in trial of the Embassy Protection Collective 4. They are charged with interfering with State Dept functions for staying in Venezuela’s embassy with permission of Venezuela’s UN-recognized government.
The judge, Beryl Howell, has stacked the deck against the defendants, preventing the jury from hearing any argument asserting that Maduro is the president of Venezuela, or even that he resides in Miraflores Palace. She asserted that the US president determines who’s prez of VZLA.
Judge Howell appears unable or unwilling to appreciate the distinction between the US-recognized doofus below, who controls zero govt functions, and the UN-recognized Venezuelan government that governs the country both in practice and in law. 
In closing rebuttal, the govt prosecutor stated that Guaido “ambassador” @carlosvecchio wanted the Venezuelan embassy “returned” to him - though he had never controlled it. The defense was not allowed to rebut this. Jurors have been subjected to a tidal wave of misinformation.
Judge Howell proclaimed today that “elections matter” - referring not to Maduro’s victory in 2018, but to Trump’s in 2016. She was defending Trump’s right to recognize anyone he wants as president of a sovereign foreign country, whether Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck or Juan Guaido.
During jury selection, a potential juror said they believed Venezuela held two separate elections with two leaders emerging - one recognized by Russia, and the other by the US. They said they learned this from reading the Washington Post. 😂
No verdict today. Jury deliberations in the Embassy Protection Collective 4 will continue through tomorrow at least.
MISTRIAL in the case of the Venezuelan Embassy Protectors 4!!!
Jurors were not convinced by government prosecutors who were every bit as incompetent as Guaido’s henchmen.
Judge Howell, biased as she has been towards the govt, called for a retrial but it may not happen.
Jurors were not convinced by government prosecutors who were every bit as incompetent as Guaido’s henchmen.
Judge Howell, biased as she has been towards the govt, called for a retrial but it may not happen.
