Virginia Jury Acquits Man of Soliciting Trump Assassination

Peter Stinson, a former Coast Guard officer, was acquitted by a federal jury of soliciting the assassination of President Donald Trump through social media posts. Despite prosecutors presenting evidence of Stinson's violent rhetoric, including offers to fund a hitman, his defense successfully argued that his statements were protected free speech lacking the necessary specificity and imminence to be considered true threats. The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia under Lindsey Halligan, was seen as a significant legal challenge given the political sensitivity and recent scrutiny of First Amendment boundaries. The judge had allowed the solicitation charge to proceed despite defense objections, but ultimately the jury found Stinson not guilty after deliberating for a few hours. Experts and commentators noted the difficulty in legally defining online political hyperbole as solicitation without direct ties to a crime. This verdict marks another high-profile legal loss for the Justice Department in President Trump's second term, highlighting ongoing tensions around political speech and violence.