On February 17, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman announced a mistrial during jury selection after deciding that the T-shirt under a blazer worn by defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton, which reportedly featured civil rights leaders, might unduly sway potential jurors.
Nine Antifa members were scheduled to face federal trial at the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse in Fort Worth on February 17 for their alleged involvement in a 2025 ambush on an ICE detention center in Alvarado, as The Dallas Express reported.
Beyond the Blazer
This doesn’t appear to be the first time Clayton has worn controversial attire. The Dallas Express obtained photos of Clayton on a vacation to South Africa in October 2025, sporting a sweatshirt that read “All My Heroes Have FBI Files.”
Besides mainstream leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman, the sweatshirt featured Communist Party USA Member Angela Davis, charged and acquitted for murder, conspiracy, and kidnapping in a 1970 courtroom shootout that killed a judge, a militant, and two inmates.
The sweatshirt also featured Assata Shakur, a member of the Black Liberation Army and Black Panther Party, convicted in 1977 for killing a New Jersey state trooper during a traffic stop.
Clayton is currently representing defendants in a July 4, 2025, ambush on the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado. As The Dallas Express reported, militants clad in body armor reportedly committed vandalism, launched fireworks at walls, and shot a local police officer in the neck.
During jury selection for the trial on February 17, Clayton reportedly wore under her blazer what appeared to be a black-and-white T-shirt with images of protesters, CBS News reported.
A U.S. attorney raised concerns about the shirt, according to Fox 4. Before a jury was seated or opening statements, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman declared a mistrial.
“If you think I want a mistrial, you’re crazy,” Pittman said at the time, per CBS News.
Clayton left the courthouse wearing her shirt inside out.
Here's defense attorney MarQuetta Clayton leaving the federal courthouse in Fort Worth. The t-shirt she's wearing that resulted in the judge declaring a mistrial has since been turned inside out. She told me she will continue to represent her client when the trial restarts on… pic.twitter.com/GHa0APXc42
— J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) February 17, 2026
Officials will replace the pool of potential jurors to avoid potential prejudice. No new trial date had yet been announced at the time of publication.
This trial will be the first federal charge against a group of Antifa cell members since President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist group in September 2025.
From Mistrial to Campaign Trail
Clayton is running in the Democratic primary on March 3 for judge of the 371st District Court, according to Ballotpedia. One day after triggering the mistrial, on February 18, she posted her endorsement from the Northeast Tarrant County Democrats on Facebook.
Earlier that day, Clayton also posted a picture with an “I Voted” sticker, signaling support for Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary for Senate. “I voted for @imjasminecrockett / @jasmineforus,” she wrote.
Clayton often posts on Facebook about local politics, including a recent post mocking a Tarrant County GOP Emergency Meeting on February 10.
Attorneys are allowed to engage in the political process, including making and soliciting political contributions, according to the American Bar Association. Clayton is currently eligible to practice law in Texas, according to the State Bar of Texas. She currently has “no public disciplinary history” in the state, though potential sanctions for the recent incident were still unclear at the time of publication.
