Mistrial Exposes Campus Justice System’s Failure Amid Pro-Palestinian Chaos at Stanford

In what should have been a straightforward case of vandalism and unlawful trespassing, a Santa Clara County judge declared a mistrial Friday in the trial of five Stanford University students charged after their disruptive pro-Palestinian protests in 2024. These students barricaded themselves inside top university offices, causing extensive damage that exceeded $300,000. Yet, after three weeks of proceedings, jurors could not reach a unanimous decision. How Did Law and Order Falter on America’s Prestigious Campus? The jury split decisively—9 to 3 for vandalism convictions and 8 to 4 for conspiracy to trespass—but deadlock prevailed after five days of deliberation made...