Arrest Warrant Issued For POTUS Candidate — Horrifying Charges

A St. Louis judge issued an arrest warrant for three-time Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein after she failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing involving allegations that she assaulted a police officer during a 2024 protest at Washington University.

The warrant was withdrawn later the same day after Stein’s attorney appeared in court, but the judge made clear that another missed appearance could have immediate consequences.

Stein, 76, faces one count of first-degree trespassing and one count of fourth-degree assault stemming from the April 27, 2024 demonstration.

The protest unfolded on Washington University’s Danforth Campus, where demonstrators protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza entered the campus, erected tents and locked arms while chanting “Hold the line” after police issued orders to disperse.

More than 100 people were arrested as officers moved to clear the encampment.

Stein was among them.

According to court documents and police accounts, Stein allegedly grabbed the bicycle of an approaching police officer, causing the bike to strike another officer—identified as Officer Moore—in the forearm.

Authorities further allege that while Moore held the bicycle up, Stein kicked him multiple times in the right leg near the groin.

The officer later sought medical treatment and was diagnosed with a strained left forearm and leg as well as testicular contusions, according to the account of the case.

Stein’s campaign manager and deputy were also arrested during the demonstration.

The case returned to the spotlight when St. Louis Associate Circuit Judge Karma Johnson issued a failure-to-appear warrant after neither Stein nor her attorney, Joseph Welch, appeared for a scheduled 9 a.m. hearing.

The court had ordered the parties and their attorneys to appear in person.

Prosecutors were present and reportedly told the court they were not requesting an arrest warrant.

Judge Johnson issued one anyway.

“There will be a failure to appear warrant for Ms. Stein,” the judge stated from the bench.

The order called for Stein to be arrested and held without bond.

Hours later, Welch appeared in court and asked the judge to quash the warrant.

Johnson granted the request, withdrawing the warrant and continuing Stein’s case to Sept. 14.

But the new court filing included an unmistakable warning:

“Warrant to issue if Defendant fails to appear.”

Stein has been ordered to appear in person at the next hearing.

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith previously stressed that the criminal case concerns Stein’s alleged conduct during the demonstration—not her political views or right to protest.

“These misdemeanor criminal charges are not a statement about the freedoms of speech or assembly, which we honor and uphold as part of our Constitution,” Smith said when the charges were announced.

“They are not a statement about the subject of the protest… These charges merely reflect our professional judgment that we have the evidence to prove these particular criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” she added.

Despite more than 100 arrests during the demonstration, Stein and one other individual ultimately faced formal criminal charges, according to the original account.

Stein has been one of the country’s most recognizable Green Party political figures for more than a decade.

She was the party’s presidential nominee in 2012, 2016 and again in 2024.

Her 2016 candidacy became particularly controversial after some Democrats argued that votes cast for Stein in closely contested states contributed to Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump.

During the 2024 election cycle, Stein made opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a prominent part of her candidacy and repeatedly described Israel’s actions as “genocide.”

The criminal case, however, is not about those political positions.

It centers on what prosecutors allege Stein personally did when police attempted to clear the Washington University encampment.

Stein has not been convicted of either charge, and the allegations against her remain to be adjudicated.

The brief arrest warrant added another complication to the case—but it ultimately lasted only hours.

What happens if Stein misses court again is considerably less ambiguous.

Her next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14, and Judge Johnson’s order explicitly warns:

“Warrant to issue if Defendant fails to appear.”