A federal judge declared a mistrial on a high-profile shooting case in Fort Worth this week, and the reason surprised a lot of people. It had nothing to do with evidence or witnesses. Instead, the issue was a shirt.
During jury selection in the case of nine people accused in connection with the July 2025 Prairieland Detention Center shooting, a defense attorney wore a T-shirt featuring images of Civil Rights Era leaders under her blazer.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman said the shirt risked sending a message to potential jurors and tossed the whole process out. He called it highly unusual and said he had “no other choice” but to declare a mistrial…