A judge in Santa Clara County Superior Court declared a mistrial on Friday in the prosecution of five current and former Stanford University students connected to a 2024 pro-Palestinian demonstration that culminated with demonstrators occupying and damaging the university president’s office.
Prosecutors had originally charged 12 protesters last year with felony vandalism, saying at least one person entered the building by breaking a window. Police arrested 13 people on June 5, 2024 in connection with the incident, and the university has said the building suffered "extensive" damage.
The case that proceeded to trial involved five defendants facing felony charges of vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass. Others who had been charged in relation to the occupation previously resolved their cases through plea agreements or diversion programs, according to court records presented during the proceedings.
After deliberation, the jury was unable to reach unanimous decisions, resulting in the mistrial. During its vote, the panel recorded a 9-3 split in favor of conviction on the felony vandalism count and an 8-4 split in favor of conviction on the felony conspiracy to trespass count. Jurors ultimately failed to deliver a verdict.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen commented on the outcome, saying, "This case is about a group of people who destroyed someone else’s property and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. That is against the law." He added that he will pursue a new trial.
One attorney representing a defendant framed the protest activity differently. Anthony Brass, speaking to the New York Times, said his client was not defending lawlessness but rather "the concept of transparency and ethical investment." Brass characterized the outcome as a victory for the students and for free speech, stating, "This is a win for these young people of conscience and a win for free speech," and added, "humanitarian activism has no place in a criminal courtroom."
The charges in this case were among the most serious brought against participants in the wider 2024 pro-Palestinian protest movement on U.S. college campuses. Those demonstrations called for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza, a halt to Washington’s support for Israel, and the divestment of university funds from companies perceived to support Israel.
The protesters involved in the Stanford incident had renamed the university building "Dr. Adnan’s Office" in honor of Adnan Al-Bursh, a Palestinian doctor who died in an Israeli prison after months of detention. Media tallies show that more than 3,000 people were arrested during the broader 2024 U.S. pro-Palestinian protest movement, and some students involved in campus demonstrations faced disciplinary measures including suspension, expulsion and degree revocation.
With the mistrial recorded, the court and the parties now face uncertainty over whether the district attorney will proceed with a new prosecution of the five defendants or otherwise resolve the outstanding charges.