Local labor leader David Huerta pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor count of obstructing a federal officer at a June illegal immigration enforcement raid on a garment industry work site in downtown Los Angeles.
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Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, entered his plea to a single federal count of obstruction of a federal officer. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to a year in federal prison.
Huerta was originally charged with a felony, but federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last month downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor.
At Tuesday's arraignment hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg allowed Huerta to remain free on his personal recognizance, and placed restrictions on foreign travel. The judge said he may travel anywhere in the United States without court approval.
She also ordered Huerta to surrender his passport to his attorney, and stay at least 100 feet away from federal officers.
Trial is scheduled for Jan. 20.
"These charges are baseless," Huerta said after the hearing. "They're an attempt to silence anyone who dares to speak out, organize or demand justice. I will not be silenced. I look forward to presenting my case and being exonerated."
The 58-year-old was among a group of protesters outside an Ambiance garment warehouse building on June 6, where federal authorities were arresting multiple people.
Video from the scene showed a man, presumed to be Huerta, being pushed out of the way of a white van being driven onto the warehouse property, then being tackled and taken into custody. A criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court accuses Huerta of cursing and taunting federal agents at the scene.
"Sometime later, Huerta and another person sat cross-legged in front of the vehicular gate," according to an affidavit in support of the complaint.
"Huerta waved at those around him and yelled, `Everybody sit down, sit down!' In addition to sitting in front of the gate, Huerta at various times stood up and paced in front of the gate, effectively preventing law enforcement vehicles from entering or exiting the premises through the gate to execute the search warrant."
The affidavit added, "As officers issued instructions to clear the way, Huerta refused to move away from the path of the vehicle and instead stood in front of the vehicle with his hands on his hips."
Huerta's attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, said Monday she is hopeful the misdemeanor charge will eventually be dropped.
"We don't think any charge is warranted," she said, adding that misdemeanors "are very unusual in federal court."
The fact that the initial felony charge against Huerta was reduced to a misdemeanor illustrates that the case is a weak one, Bednarski told City News Service.
"In some of these protest cases, we've seen charges dropped entirely because many of the cases are very weak and shouldn't have been brought in the first place," she said.
Huerta was released from federal custody on June 9 on bond after a court hearing. Following his release, SEIU International President April Verrett expressed relief that Huerta was reunited with his family.
"We are deeply grateful to the hundreds of elected officials, civil rights leaders, labor partners and allies from across the nation who stood in solidarity and demanded David's release," Verrett said. "But this struggle is about much more than just one man. Thousands of workers remain unjustly detained and separated from their families."
Gov. Gavin Newsom was among the authorities speaking out in June on behalf of Huerta, calling him a "respected leader, a patriot and an advocate for working people."
"No one should ever be harmed with witnessing government action," Newsom said.
However, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on social media at the time that Huerta actively obstructed a lawful operation.
"Federal agents were executing a lawful judicial warrant at (an) L.A. work site this morning when David Huerta deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle," he wrote. "He was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court. ... Let me be clear: I don't care who you are -- if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties."
Essayli posted a video online of Huerta being taken into custody.
Huerta issued a statement through the union at the time, saying, "What happened to me is not about me. This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that's happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice."
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