A federal judge in Fort Worth declared a mistrial Tuesday during jury selection in the case against nine defendants charged in connection with a July 4, 2025, attack outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, after raising concerns that a defense attorney’s clothing could be seen as political messaging to prospective jurors.
On Tuesday in federal court in Fort Worth, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman declared a mistrial on the first day of jury selection in the prosecution of nine defendants accused of participating in a July 4, 2025, attack outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. The mistrial was declared before a jury was seated.
The move came after a government attorney objected to the attire of defense lawyer MarQuetta Clayton, who was wearing a T-shirt beneath her blazer depicting civil-rights-era figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., according to local reporting and trial observers. Pittman told Clayton the clothing was inappropriate for court and compared it to a prosecutor displaying overt political imagery, including an ICE pin or a shirt featuring former President Donald Trump, according to KERA News as cited by The Daily Wire.
The underlying case stems from the late-night July 4, 2025, incident at the detention center. Federal court filings and a Justice Department criminal complaint allege that a group dressed in black set off fireworks and vandalized property outside the facility, and that gunfire later erupted, striking an Alvarado police officer in the neck. The officer survived.
Authorities have said the confrontation began after correctional officers reported suspicious activity, and that at least one shooter fired from a wooded area near the facility. Federal prosecutors have alleged that someone could be heard shouting “Get to the rifles” shortly before the police officer was shot, according to court records cited by The Dallas Morning News.
The Justice Department has identified one defendant, Benjamin Hanil Song—a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist—as an alleged key participant. In a July 2025 press release, prosecutors said Song was charged by federal complaint with attempted murder of federal agents and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and that he was not captured the night of the shooting.
Separately, five people have pleaded guilty to a federal charge of providing material support to terrorists in connection with the case and could face up to 15 years in prison, according to reporting by The Dallas Morning News and The Associated Press.
The court has not publicly set a new trial date. However, The Daily Wire, citing KERA News, reported that a new round of jury selection is expected to begin Monday. Local reporting also said Clayton was seen leaving the courthouse with her shirt turned inside out, and that Pittman indicated the attorney would be required to return at a later date to address whether sanctions are warranted.
