A Washington, D.C., jury acquitted Jacob Winkler of a felony charge that he aimed a laser at Marine One while it carried Donald Trump, reaching a verdict in about 35 minutes. Winkler’s defense called the prosecution a misuse of scarce resources and noted he was carrying only a cat toy keychain. The quick acquittal is another setback for U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose office has pursued several high-profile cases since federal forces were deployed in the city last summer.
Jury Acquits Man Accused Of Aiming Laser At Marine One In 35 Minutes — Another Setback For U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro
Jeanine Pirro in Washington DC on 28 May 2025.Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP(Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP)
A jury in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday acquitted Jacob Winkler of a felony charge that he aimed a laser at the presidential helicopter Marine One while it was transporting Donald Trump. Jurors reached their not-guilty verdict in roughly 35 minutes.
What the Charge Alleged
Winkler, 33, was arrested in September after a U.S. Secret Service agent reported seeing him point a red laser beam toward Marine One as the helicopter flew low shortly after departing the White House. He faced a felony count of aiming a laser at an aircraft, an offense that can carry up to five years in prison.
Prosecution, Defense And Verdict
The prosecution was led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia under Jeanine Pirro, whom former President Trump appointed to the post. Pirro’s office had vowed to prosecute Winkler “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Winkler’s public defenders, Alexis Gardner and Ubong Akpan, said jurors deliberated for just over half an hour before returning the acquittal. In a statement to HuffPost, they argued the case illustrated misplaced priorities:
"In the most powerful city in the world, the federal government spent scarce resources to make a felon out of a homeless man with nothing but a cat toy keychain. Every hour spent on this case was an hour not spent addressing real threats to our community. We need to stop policing poverty and start investing in dignity."
Broader Context
The quick acquittal is another high-profile defeat for Pirro’s office, which has pursued tough prosecutions of individuals accused of assaulting federal officers or threatening the president since last summer. Following a declaration of a crime emergency and deployment of federal personnel into Washington, D.C., agents from agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI conducted neighborhood patrols and pursued multiple federal cases.
The Winkler verdict echoes a recent failed prosecution in which Pirro's office did not secure a conviction against Sean Charles Dunn, a former Department of Justice paralegal who was charged after video showed him throwing a Subway-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent. Video of that incident showed Dunn — wearing a pink polo and shorts — shouting, "Why are you here? I don't want you in my city!" before running away.
Office Response
Pirro’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. During the business week beginning Monday, the office issued at least 16 press releases; none addressed the Winkler trial specifically, according to reporting.
The case has drawn attention not only for its outcome but for the questions it raises about resource allocation, prosecutorial priorities and how authorities respond to low-level incidents amid larger public-safety concerns.
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