A CSU professor has been acquitted of a charge of assaulting US agents with tear gas
A Cal State Channel Islands professor said he feels “justifiably angry” after a judge acquitted him Thursday of his charges of throwing tear gas at Border Patrol agents last summer during a protest against immigration raids on a Southern California marijuana farm.
A federal judge in the city of Los Angeles found Jonathan Caravello, 38, a US citizen and instructor in CSUCI’s mathematics and philosophy department, not guilty of assaulting a public official with a dangerous or dangerous weapon, a charge that carries a sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to prosecutors.
Caravello said he rejected the plea deal early in the process.
“I knew I didn’t hit anyone and I wasn’t going to admit it,” he said. He also added that his position as a professor, a white male, and access to a strong group of lawyers made him feel it was his responsibility to fight the cases.
“I thought it was my responsibility to take this to court no matter how long it would take or what the results would be,” he said. If I had ended up in prison, I would not have regretted taking this case.
Jonathan Caravello after pleading not guilty Thursday in First Street court in downtown Los Angeles.
(Taylor Buck)
Caravello’s attorney, Knut Johnson of Singleton Schreiber, said his client acted to protect those around him, not to harm federal agents. “John wiped out the tear gas on everybody,” Johnson said, referring back to the government’s account and adding that the tear gas was distributed indiscriminately by law enforcement.
He said the prosecutors should never have entered the courtroom.
“A powerful law firm like the United States Department of Justice should never use its power to prosecute cases like this,” Johnson said. “Having a nine-month trial is incredibly stressful and will take years off your life, and John shouldn’t have had to go through that.”
California Faculty AssociationThe union that represents the Cal State faculty, celebrated the decision in a statement posted on social media, saying that Caravello has been cleared of any wrongdoing and the decision confirms his right to protest.
“The beatings, surveillance, and harassment that John and others across the country and across the country will not tolerate,” the union wrote.
Cal State Channel Islands said Caravello’s employment status has not changed and he remains employed during the process, according to the university.
“The university is aware of the jury’s decision in the case involving Dr. Jonathan Caravello, and we respect the outcome of the legal process,” the university said in a statement. “We recognize that this has been a complex and, at times, difficult situation for members of our institution’s community.”
Caravello was embroiled in a high-profile case stemming from a July 10 protest at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, where federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the US Border Patrol executed a search warrant at the 160-acre marijuana farm, according to prosecutors.
A protest broke out after federal agents conducted simultaneous immigration raids at the company’s facilities in Camarillo and Carpinteria, arresting more than 300 workers without documents.
Prosecutors allege that when police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, Caravello ran toward the bottle, tried to kick it, and after it rolled past him, picked it up and threw it at the Border Patrol, according to court documents. Prosecutors also said that he left the scene, changed his shirt and shoes, and returned two hours later, which is when the agents saw him and went to arrest him.
Caravello allegedly resisted arrest by continuing to kick his legs and refusing to give the agents his arms, according to prosecutors.
Jonathan Caravello speaks at a labor union press conference Friday at the First Street courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. (Taylor Buck)
(Taylor Buck)
Caravello stood by his actions that day but advised others to be deliberate.
“I came forward in the case by removing the tear gas, throwing it over the heads of the officers, and I believe it is something we should be able to do when there are protests,” said Caravello. “I don’t want people to do these things indiscriminately without wisdom, and when the government sees that people will not back down, they are less likely to oppress us.”
The case went through several rounds before it went to trial. Prosecutors initially charged Caravello with a felony, then downgraded the charge to a misdemeanor. In August, he pleaded not guilty and told the court Ventura County Star that everything he does in the protests is “to protect the people.” A federal grand jury later returned the criminal case.
The California Faculty Association said the decision, while welcome, could not undo the damage Caravello endured, adding that its members will continue to work to protect immigrant communities.
“We outnumber them, we have more love than them, and I have no doubt in my mind that people are willing and able to keep each other safe,” said Caravello.
