Another federal case falls apart in Chicago
Thursday, Jan 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. Jon Seidel…
…Adding… More background from WTTW…
When he was charged, prosecutors alleged Espinoza Martinez was a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings street gang, while a Homeland Security spokesperson labeled him a “depraved individual” and a “thug.”
Prosecutors later backed off the gang allegations and U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow barred any testimony regarding Espinoza Martinez’s alleged connections to the Latin Kings from trial.
Espinoza Martinez was accused of sending a Snapchat message to his brother and an acquaintance that included a photo of Bovino along with the message “2k on information when you get him” and “10k if u take him down.”
“Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, the defendant typed those words and sent that picture with the intent to solicit a murder,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Yonan said in his closing arguments Thursday morning. “They are not innocent and harmless words. They are a call to action.”
While prosecutors claimed this represented a “specific incentive encouraging a specific action taken against a specific individual,” Espinoza Martinez’s defense team said he was simply sharing neighborhood gossip.
They argued the government failed to prove there was any intent behind Espinoza Martinez’s words.
- Demoralized - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:15 pm:
I find the lack of success the feds are having going after people to be hilarious. Juries in Washington DC have been telling the feds to go pound sand on several cases. Now Chicago is doing the same thing.
This is what happens when you have a Department of Justice who is acting like anything but a legitimate organization.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:24 pm:
===Now Chicago is doing the same thing===
Or, hear me out, the case was ridiculous to begin with and the jury did its duty and reached the right verdict.
- JoanP - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:26 pm:
Well, that didn’t take long.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:34 pm:
=Well, that didn’t take long.=
This DOJ team is really good./s
I am concerned that, when someone really needs to be behind bars, the doj won’t be up to the task.
- Soccermom - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:41 pm:
When Soccermom was in college, she and her silly little friends came up with a highly detailed and completely ridiculous scheme to commit the felony of killing a bald eagle. It involved painting a small aircraft to look like a female eagle and then leading a male eagle upwards to its eventual doom. Soccermom now realizes how lucky she has been to escape federal prosecution all these years. Sheesh — that’s all they had? A snapchat between three friends?
- Nope. - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:49 pm:
I’ve tried a few murder for hire cases. This was not that; in fact it never get past Felony Review.
I truly think if you found a first chair at 26th St. as a commentator, they could handicap these cases for you pretty darn well. Yes, yes I know it’s a state court, but still believe me, they’d be able to handicap these Mickey Mouse cases the G are charging these days.
- Pundent - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:51 pm:
What’s remarkable is how these verdicts stand in contrast to the historically high conviction rates obtained by the DOJ. The feds simply would not pursue cases that they couldn’t win and 9 times out of 10 they would. But this version of the DOJ bears little resemblance to prior administrations.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 4:58 pm:
- The feds simply would not pursue cases that they couldn’t win and 9 times out of 10 they would. -
This administration isn’t big on doing actual work.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Jan 22, 26 @ 5:12 pm:
But wasn’t this oneof the worse of the worst?,