Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for president in three of the past four presidential elections, had a warrant for her arrest issued and then quashed soon after over her failure to appear in court for an assault charge from a 2024 protest at Washington University in St. Louis.
St. Louis Associate Circuit Judge Karma Johnson issued the warrant order on Monday after Stein did not show up in court. But Johnson quickly dropped the order, writing that Stein’s defense counsel appeared before the court.
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“It was me. I screwed up the calendar and was late. The judge fixed it,” Stein’s attorney, Joseph Welch, said.
The case in the Missouri state court hinges on two counts of trespassing and assault that Stein picked up at an April 2024 pro-Palestinian protest.
Stein was allegedly taking part in an unregistered Gaza war protest when police officers moved toward the protesters, who were given several warnings to disperse, according to court documents in the case. Stein then allegedly grabbed a bicycle that one of the police officers was riding on and then kicked another officer repeatedly in his leg and groin area. The bicycle also allegedly struck the second officer in the arm.
That officer was later diagnosed with a strained left forearm and leg and testicular contusions when he sought medical treatment, according to the court documents.
After Stein did not appear for a 9 a.m. hearing Monday, her lawyer reportedly appeared before the judge later that day, asking for the order to be quashed.
There is another criminal hearing now scheduled for Sept. 14. The filing for it has a note that reads “warrant to issue if Defendant fails to appear,” referring to Stein.
Stein, who ran for president on the Green Party ticket in the 2012, 2016, and 2024 elections, has been a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, repeatedly calling Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide.” Stein is Jewish.
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Stein won about 0.56% of the popular vote in the 2024 election, campaigning on climate issues and a pro-Palestinian platform, and said she hoped the media would pay more attention to the latter after the snafu earlier in the day.
“I hope the media pays more attention to the carnage in Gaza and the West Bank than to a warrant issued over a schedule mix-up and recalled by the judge before I even had a chance to comment,” Stein said.
