DOJ Dismisses Charges Against Veteran in Flag Protest

The Justice Department has moved to dismiss misdemeanor charges against Jay Carey, a 55-year-old Army veteran from Arden, North Carolina, who burned an American flag in a park near the White House last year as a protest against a presidential executive order aimed at prosecuting such acts.

Carey, who served in the Army from 1989 to 2012 with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, was arrested on August 25 in Lafayette Park, a site managed by the National Park Service. The incident occurred hours after President Donald Trump signed the executive order directing the Justice Department to investigate and pursue cases involving flag burning. Carey identified himself as a veteran during the protest and stated at the time that he aimed to test the order's legality.

He faced two misdemeanor counts unrelated to the flag burning itself: igniting a fire in an undesignated area and lighting a fire that threatened or damaged property and park resources. Each charge carried a potential penalty of up to six months in custody or a fine. Carey pleaded not guilty in September and challenged the indictment.

The dismissal filing, submitted on Friday, provided no explanation for the decision....