Martin R. Diaz folded his hands and placed his head on the table before grabbing a tissue to wipe away tears. His attorney supported him with an arm on his back.

Many of Diaz’s roughly 20 family members and supporters seated in the courtroom gasped, and some then shed tears.

A jury Tuesday afternoon found Diaz, whose arrest by federal immigration agents in the backyard of his northeast Spokane home sparked local protests, not guilty of assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

“This was a hard case and a close case,” U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pennell said.

Kendall Diaz, Martin Diaz’s wife, said she was “beyond grateful.”

WA man fighting deportation found not guilty of assaulting federal officer

Federal court ruling doesn’t stop WA immigration judges’ bond denials

Immigration of

See Full Page