A Minnesota Democratic Party official is urging people on social media to “act neutral” to get seated on a jury and vote to acquit a woman accused of biting off a federal agent’s fingertip.
Nick Kruse is a former vice president of the Minnesota Young DFL and current at-large director of Stonewall DFL.
In a Jan. 26 post on X, Kruse wrote that “no one should be going to prison for defending our city against ICE,” and encouraged followers to spread information about “jury nullification.”
Kruse was responding to a post about the case of Claire Louise Feng, who is accused in federal court of biting off the tip of a U.S. Border Patrol agent’s finger during a struggle in Minneapolis.
The term “jury nullification” refers to when jurors vote to acquit a defendant despite believing the person broke the law, often because they disagree with the law itself or how it is being applied, according to Kruse’s posts.
In his post, Kruse encouraged people to try to get selected for jury duty and to “act neutral” during voir dire, the process in which potential jurors are questioned before being seated.
The comments come as national and local media have reported on Feng’s case, as well as that of a second defendant, Emily Duchateau Baierl, who is also charged with assaulting a federal agent during the same incident.
Both women were released on their own recognizance and are awaiting preliminary hearings in U.S. District Court in Minnesota.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
