Seven people who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge early this year were found not guilty Thursday of conspiracy.
The case has divided Oregonians and others across the country.
We caught up with Klamath County District Attorney Rob Patridge who was in Medford for a family event.
He tells us it’s a surprising verdict.
“Verdicts like this tend to embolden people to do things and to protest, but again, juries get to make that decision, and they came back with a not guilty in this case,” Patridge said.
Patridge says he hopes the jury followed the law as instructed by the judge.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to try 7 additional defendants in February.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.