How Activists Are Coaching Jurors to Deliver ‘Not Guilty’ Verdicts in Trump DOJ Prosecutions
A must-read article by "The Washington Free Beacon" discussing jury nullification. It's not just the radical judges we have to worry about now. George Soros' dark money strikes again.
Just when you think political tactics couldn’t sink any lower—even when they operate within the bounds of the law—a left-leaning activist group, Freedom Trainers, financed by a George Soros–aligned organization, is drawing attention for a controversial effort:
They’re teaching potential jurors about jury nullification.
Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a "not guilty" verdict even though they believe the defendant broke the law, because they view the law as unjust, unfairly applied, or the punishment as too harsh.
Supporters say it’s a safeguard against unjust laws or government overreach.
Critics argue it can lead to inconsistent verdicts or let guilty people go free based on bias or personal beliefs.
Bottom line: It is a real, de facto power—one that exists in practice even if courts don’t officially endorse or encourage it.
Below are excerpts from an article by Thomas Catenacci in The Washington Free Beacon (lightly edited and bold emphasis added).
(The Washington Free Beacon is one of my favorite publications. I have provided links to their Substack and website at the conclusion of the excerpts.)
March 9, 2026
A left-wing activist group is teaching liberals in Washington, D.C., and “across the United States” how to increase their chances of serving as jurors on cases brought by the Trump Department of Justice so they can undermine its chances of securing convictions, training materials reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon show.
Freedom Trainers, whose fiscal sponsor is the George Soros-funded group Community Change, is working to make “jury nullification”—the practice of voting against a conviction even if the defendant broke the law—a go-to legal weapon for the Left. Its sessions and training materials, reviewed by the Free Beacon, show how the group teaches “committed people” to gum up federal prosecutions.
The group tells attendees to keep their addresses current to ensure they receive summons. Then, during the jury selection process, it advises them to “Never mention jury nullification,” “Don’t signal an agenda,” and “say you’ll listen to the evidence before forming conclusions.” Once selected, the group tells its trainees to vote “not guilty” for any reason.
Freedom Trainers’ efforts—which have not been previously reported—underscore the difficulty the Trump administration faces in securing convictions in the nation’s capital and other blue bastions.
“While we respect jurors’ role in the judicial process, the Department takes jury nullification and interference with official proceedings extremely seriously,” a Department of Justice spokeswoman said in a statement to the Free Beacon. “Any group attempting to improperly influence juries who should serve as impartial arbiters of evidence should be held accountable.”
Neither Freedom Trainers nor Community Change responded to requests for comment.
Freedom Trainers describes itself as a “loose network of trainers teaching collective noncooperation.” It was established in late 2024 as its leaders pondered a second Trump administration. “Before Donald Trump’s election, an informal group of trainers—many with experience working under authoritarian regimes—began asking a sobering question: what would people need if he won?” its website states….
…Freedom Trainers says it “has trained hundreds of thousands of committed people across the United States.”
During one recent webinar, [Daniel] Hunter [of Choose Democracy] raised the viral example of a man shown on video assaulting a federal agent with a sandwich. He argued that there are “a lot of possible reasons” those serving on a grand jury in the case could vote against an indictment. Jurors could say that the law the man broke is itself not just or constitutional. They could argue that the agent was not harmed. Or they could say that they were generally unconvinced by prosecutors’ arguments.
*****Video not part of original article.
A pamphlet1 produced by the group makes the point more clearly: Attendees, it says, can vote not guilty for “any reason you believe is just.” The pamphlet emphasizes that jurors can vote against conviction “even if the technical elements of the crime were technically met. No explanation required. No punishment allowed. Totally legal.” A grand jury rejected felony charges for the man referenced in Hunter’s example.
Freedom Trainers encourages activists and trainees to pass out copies of the pamphlet at courthouses on Monday mornings "before people are placed on juries….”
“We have a legal remedy to correct when the court system, when the Department of Justice, has gone astray and awry,” Hunter said during the webinar. “That is your right as a juror to stand up for what you believe to be right, to use your analysis, your conscience, your morals.”
“That is one way that we, as regular folks, can insert ourselves into the criminal legal system and create some justice through some noncooperation,” another Freedom Trainers official, “Marla,” said during a more recent webinar. She went on to lament that she was once kicked off a jury after a prosecutor “had figured out I was an activist.”
The group appears aware of the legal risks that come with its efforts. All trainings begin with a disclaimer that the following will include no legal advice and that if an audience member is actively serving on a jury, they should log off. “We don’t want to mess with any ongoing trials,” Marla told participants.
But the webinars emphasize that, if done properly, jury nullification remains legal. According to Freedom Trainers, educating others on jury nullification, handing out flyers near courthouses, and voting “not guilty” for any reason are all legal actions. Stating you intend to nullify before the trial and discussing nullification with other jurors are legal but more “risky” tactics, the group adds.
Freedom Trainers implores activists not to target other jurors, lie, disclose jury deliberations, claim publicly that they nullified following a trial, or coordinate with a defendant.
“Keep advocacy general,” the group states. “Say nothing, or consult an attorney first,” it adds about making public comments.
Carrie Severino, the president of the right-leaning Judicial Crisis Network, said the jury nullification effort raises significant legal questions and could threaten Americans’ confidence in the justice system.
“Dark-money networks are intent on attacking the judicial system at every level, with their latest scheme to sway juries and encourage citizens to nullify the law. It wasn’t enough for Soros and dark-money groups to back far-left prosecutors who released criminals and led to rising crime or to push judges who ignore the rule of law,” Severino told the Free Beacon.
“These latest attempts challenge the constitutional right to an impartial jury and, even worse, encourage citizens to bypass laws passed by our elected representatives. This is just one more aspect of the legal system these extreme groups are trying to infiltrate.”
I could not agree more.
Thanks for reading this excerpted article from The Washington Free Beacon. Please see their Substack below and consider subscribing.
As one who believes in God, trusts Jesus as savior, and knows the truth of the demonic spiritual war we are all in, I really never cease to be amazed at the evil deception and lies of the Enemy. Folks, this is real. Ephesians 6:12 is very clear: "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."
This is great news. I discovered and started teaching about Jury Nullification in 2021 in response to the laws(mandates)/fines/penalties/arrests applied during the Fake Contagion Medical Tyranny Period. I never thought the enemy would touch the subject.
This is bad news. The true judicial power lies with the people, but if the people are retarded, we end up with a society that eats itself from within.
By the way, what the educating groups say about Jury Nullification is true. Jurors have the power to decide the facts and the law, regardless of what the statute says. It is meant to apply mercy, because the law is merciless. There had been a generations-long campaign to get people to forget that, and now it seems the coffin is nailed shut.