Oak Park Village Trustee Brian Straw appeared in court for the first time Wednesday after being indicted on federal conspiracy charges in connection with a protest at the Broadview ICE Detention Facility.
Straw was one of several progressive political figure indicted on felony conspiracy to impede the work of a federal law enforcement officer and assaulting/resisting/impeding officers, according to U.S. Northern District of Illinois court documents filed last month. The indictment alleges that Straw and his co-defendants were among a crowd of protestors who blocked, pushed against and banged on a vehicle being driven by a federal officer into ICE’s Broadview Detention facility the morning of Sept. 26.
Straw’s co-defendants are 9th District U.S. Congressional candidate Katherine “Kat” Abughazaleh, Cook County board candidate Catherine “Cat” Sharp, 45th ward Democratic committeeman Michael Rabbit and two other protestors named Joselyn Walsh and Andre Martin.
All six appeared in court before Judge Heather McShain for the first time Wednesday afternoon as they were arraigned on their federal charges. The courtroom filled quickly, but more than 100 observers watched the proceedings on the 19th floor of the federal court building, including State Senate President Don Harmon, Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman and Oak Park Trustee Derek Eder.
Prosecutors did not seek pretrial detention for any of the defendants but were looking to require each of them to turn over their passports, which the federal pretrial officers did not recommend. Straw’s attorney Christopher Parente objected to that condition, saying that the measure was unnecessary and comparing the requirement to ICE agents approaching residents and demanding their identification.
“He’s described himself as a ‘boring suburban dad,’ he is a small business owner, he has a wife and two kids, Mr. Straw isn’t going anywhere,” Parente said. “The landscapers who were chased down the street in Oak Park over the weekend can’t stand up to the government, but Mr. Straw can.”
Federal Prosecutor Sheri Mecklinberg dismissed that assertion, saying that Straw was asking for “special treatment.”
“This is not the place for him to make himself known, to make his position made,” Mecklinberg said.
Judge McShain sided with Straw and Parente, refusing to impose the passport requirement on any of the defendants. Parente told Wednesday Journal after the hearing that the objection was Straw’s idea, who is also an attorney.
“That was all Brian’s idea, and that’s just who he is,” Parente said. “The government is throwing its weight around and demanding passports from people in Oak Park, like our landscapers and others who can’t stand up to them. Brian has the luxury of being able to push back, and he pushed back and the judge saw it the right way. There’s no reason that he should turn his passport in. It’s nice for the government to be told ‘no’ and that’s what the judge did here.”
Straw will appear in court next on Dec. 4 before Judge April Perry.
“We’re looking forward to trial,” Parente said. “We’re confidant that Brian will be exonerated as soon as this jury’s impaneled.”
