Saint Paul, MN — On March 30, 2023, Brian Kjellberg was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder without intent for killing Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart over a parking space near Kjellberg’s residence. But even before evidence shown in the trial indicated a racial motive,…
Hennepin County District Court, Minneapolis, Minnesota. September 2, 2005. The trial of Marvin Haynes began 12 days ago, just 15 ½ months after the murder of Randy Sherer at Jerry’s Flower Shop on the Northside of Minneapolis. Haynes, now 17, sits at the defense table…
Shakopee, MN — After serving sixteen months in Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee for fatally shooting unarmed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, former Brooklyn Center veteran police officer Kim Potter was released at 4:00 a.m. Monday morning.
Potter was convicted of first and second degree…
Minneapolis, MN — “We are asking for his immediate release!” Cynthia Haynes demanded passionately, calling for her brother’s release from prison while holding two signs – one read “Free Marvin Haynes Now,” the other, “Justice 4 Marvin Haynes.” As the case of Marvin Haynes starts…
Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine — Around 4,700 Palestinians are jailed in dire conditions in Israeli prisons with at least 866 of those prisoners being held indefinitely on ‘administrative detention’ without charges, trial or release date. Deaths inside Israeli prisons since 1967 have risen to 235,…
Atlanta, GA — Fifteen of the twenty-three people arrested and charged with domestic terrorism on March 5 are now out of jail. The nearly two dozen people were arrested during the South River Music Festival for their alleged involvement in the ongoing effort to stop…
Minneapolis, MN – When Officers Rollins and Smelter pulled up in front of Jerry’s Flower Shop on Sunday morning, May 16, 2004, they saw a woman run out the front door. She was screaming.
She told the officers that her brother was inside and that…
The story of Marvin Haynes is also the story of Harry Sherer — a 55-year-old man who lived a few blocks from his family’s flower shop who everyone called by his nickname, Randy. Most days, Randy walked to the shop to sit and talk to…
Saint Paul, MN – The trial of Brian Kjellberg, who was charged with 2nd degree murder for killing Arnell ‘AJ’ Stewart over a parking spot, begins late March. Unicorn Riot recently sat down with the Poet Laureate of San Francisco and cousin of Stewart, Tongo…
Grand Marais, MN – For the grisly murder of Ricky Balsimo, Robert Thomas West was found guilty on Feb. 8, 2023, of Accomplice After the Fact to Felony Murder in the 2nd degree and aiding an offender in dismembering and disposing of Balsimo’s dead body…
The Harris County Jail is the third-largest jail in the U.S. and the largest jail in Texas. Located in Houston, it also confines the most people with mental illness in the state. Despite its complicated history, the public is largely unaware of the myriad issues at the jail. This report covers how the massive backlog of felony cases and pretrial detention contribute to the deaths of dozens of detainees amid overcrowding, medical crises, and a lack of mental health services.
Minneapolis, MN – The grainy surveillance camera footage shows a small interrogation room—fifteen-by-fifteen, white walls, short cut-pile dark carpet, circular table, and a blue swivel chair. A door on the far wall stands open to the hallways and cubicles beyond. The date in the corner…
Minneapolis, MN – Two years after being arrested during a New Year’s Eve noise demo and charged with misdemeanor riot, one person has taken her case to trial this week in which her supporters are calling on the broader community for court support. [UPDATE: Justina…
Responding to the Greek government’s continuous attack on prisoners’ rights, inmates have waged seven hunger strikes in prisons across Greece over the last three years — many of which have been successful.
According to the prisoners and their supporters, authorities target certain incarcerated people and…
Tucson, AZ – Dwarfed by a four-story edifice of concrete and concertina wire, two boys passed a bullhorn back and forth between them, egging each other on and giggling at their game.
“Your lives matter!” one of them yelled at the rows of narrow windows…
Washington, D.C. – On Nov. 29, 2022, seven senators including Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) co-signed a letter to President Biden requesting the president grant clemency to political prisoner Leonard Peltier.
“We write to request that you grant clemency to Native American rights…
Minneapolis, MN – Nicholas Kraus was given a 20 year prison sentence after pleading guilty to second degree murder for killing Deona Marie Erickson, who also went by Knajdek, and injuring others during a protest for Winston Smith in 2021. Driving a Jeep, Kraus purposely…
Indianapolis, IN – Tyler Newby was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 10, to one year of house detention for killing unarmed teenager Dorian Murrell during protests for George Floyd in Indianapolis in 2020. Charged with murder, Newby was convicted of reckless homicide in a bench trial…
Minneapolis, MN – Over the past two years, leaders within the American Indian Movement (AIM) organized a 1,103-mile walk from “the heart of AIM” in Minneapolis to Washington, D.C. “to seek elder Leonard Peltier’s release,” according to the main organizer Rachel Thunder. The walk’s primary…
Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, a 54-year-old environmental activist and former Earth Liberation Front saboteur, was sentenced to time served today after pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit arson and one count of arson. Dibee was also ordered to complete 1,000 hours of community…
"The life of Dorian Murrell was stolen and is worth more than a maximum of six-years."
Alabama – Prisoners in Alabama announced on Oct. 14 that they had paused their historic three-week work stoppage. The strike, which started Sept. 26, involved thousands of prisoners throughout the state, causing the breakdown of normal operations at most major male prisons this month.
According…
Montgomery, AL – On the 19th day of the statewide prisoner work strike on Friday, about 100 people gathered in front of the Alabama State Capitol Building in support of the thousands of prisoners currently striking.
On Oct. 7, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC)…
Abbotsford, B.C., Canada – On Wednesday morning, animal rights activists Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer were sentenced to 30 days in jail, 12 months of probation, and are required to provide their DNA to the National DNA Data Bank.
Soranno and Schafer were able to…
