A Missouri judge has issued an arrest warrant for three-time presidential candidate Jill Stein after she failed to appear for a scheduled court appearance on charges stemming from an anti-Israel protest at Washington University in St. Louis.
Stein, the Green Party's nominee in 2012, 2016, and 2024, had been charged with one count of first-degree trespassing and one count of fourth-degree assault following her apprehension during a demonstration on April 27, 2024. Protesters, including Stein, had marched to the university's Danforth Campus and erected tents near the John M. Olin Library.
According to charging documents, demonstrators were warned by law enforcement that they would be arrested for trespassing. Stein and others reportedly locked arms and chanted "hold the line" as officers moved in. Stein is accused of grabbing an approaching officer's bicycle, which then struck another officer. She then allegedly kicked the officer, identified as Officer Moore, multiple times in the right leg, near his groin.
Officer Moore was later diagnosed with a forearm strain, a contusion on his right leg, and a groin injury. Footage posted to Stein's social media account at the time showed police detaining her. Her campaign manager and deputy campaign manager were also among those arrested.
St. Louis Associate Circuit Judge Karma Johnson issued the warrant for Stein's arrest on Monday, noting that neither Stein nor her attorney appeared in court as required. Stein's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement following the initial charges, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith emphasized that the charges were not a commentary on free speech or the subject of the protest itself, but rather based on the professional judgment that evidence supported the criminal charges. Stein's best presidential showing was in 2016, when she received over 1.4 million votes, or 1.07% of the national total.