The California union leader who was arrested during an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest this summer pleaded not guilty in federal court on Tuesday.
David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union California, was arrested on June 6 and charged with felony conspiracy, although the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor for obstruction, resistance, or opposition of a federal officer.
In the United States District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Huerta pleaded not guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Alicia G. Rosenberg. Outside the courtroom, Huerta called the charge a “weaponization” of the judicial system.
“These charges are baseless,” Huerta said. “They are an attempt to silence anyone who dares to speak out, organize or demand justice. I will not be silenced.”
He said he’ll continue to fight the charge until he’s exonerated.
Rosenberg granted Huerta’s release, but said he must seek court permission prior to leaving the country, and ordered Huerta to surrender his passport to his attorney. He must also remain at least 100 feet away from federal officers.
Huerta’s trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 20. If convicted, his sentence could carry a maximum sentence of one year, prosecutors said.
According to a Homeland Security Investigation officer’s sworn affidavit, Huerta sat in front of a vehicular gate to a staging ground for ICE operations that were ongoing nearby. The officer claims Huerta refused orders to clear the scene and asked fellow protesters to join him in blocking the gate. The interaction turned physical, DHS claims, and Huerta was briefly hospitalized as a result.
Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced his arrest and called Huerta a “respected leader, a patriot, and an advocate for working people.”
More from CBS News