More than a year after they were first arrested during an anti-ICE demonstration on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, Taylor Marshall once again found themselves an inmate of the Kenton County Detention Center.
They weren't charged with a different set of crimes. It was because of a felony indictment issued after a plea agreement fell apart in the case that's been pending against 33-year-old Marshall since July 2025.
Marshall is the last defendant with an ongoing criminal case related to a protest on July 17, 2025, held in support of ImamAyman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and a former Cincinnati Children's chaplain who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement several days before.
Court records show Marshall was indicted
Sept. 24 in Kenton County Circuit Court on felony rioting, as well as misdemeanors of obstructing governmental operations, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Marshall was among 15 people, including two journalists, arrested during the protest. They appeared for an arraignment on Oct. 5 via video conference from jail and pleaded not guilty to the indictment.
In a criminal citation, Covington police said that Marshall was part of an "unlawful assembly" of more than 100 people marching across the bridge and that Marshall "knowingly participated in a riot," in which officers were injured.
Protester indicted after plea deal fell through, attorney says
Although Marshall didn't attend the arraignment in person, supporters packed the seventh-floor courtroom at the Kenton County Justice Center.
Ben Potash, Marshall's attorney, told The Enquirer that the case lingered without an indictment for 11 months before prosecutors offered a plea agreement in which Marshall would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and the remaining counts would be dropped.
Marshall ultimately accepted the offer and expected to plead guilty during a hearing in September. However, Kenton County District Judge Ken Easterling refused to accept the guilty plea unless Marshall admitted to an alleged conspiracy and facts not relevant to the plea agreement, Potash said.
When they returned to court for a morning hearing before Easterling on Oct. 5, Marshall was arrested on an arrest warrant and new bond tied to the indictment. They posted bond before their afternoon arraignment.
"I've never seen anything like this from anybody," said Potash, who has represented protesters in criminal cases across the state.
Judge Kate Molloy, who is presiding over the felony case, ultimately released Marshall from jail on their own recognizance.
Prosecutor says Marshall is the only defendant who 'failed' to admit guilt
It's standard for defendants pleading guilty to make an admission of guilt in court, Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said. He added that Marshall failed to make an adequate admission during the earlier hearing.
"Everyone else managed to get through their guilty pleas," Sanders said of those charged in the protest. "This is the only defendant that failed to do so."
Because of Marshall's refusal to properly admit guilt, Sanders said, prosecutors pushed forward with securing an indictment.
"The judge did not do anything inappropriate," Sanders added.
Easterling did not respond to a message from The Enquirer as of the publication of this report.
Criminal case, lawsuit to proceed
Roughly six hours after being arrested on Oct. 5, Marshall was released from jail. More than two dozen supporters greeted them with cheers and hugs as they walked out the front door.
It was a victory for Marshall and their attorneys. But they are still facing a possible sentence of one to five years if convicted of the felony rioting charge.
It's also just the start of a potentially lengthy felony prosecution. A different legal battle related to last year's protest will play out at the same time.
Marshall is suing the city of Covington in federal court, alleging police officers assaulted them and used excessive force while responding to protesters on the bridge. Another protester, Brandon Hill, is also suing the city and two of its police officers.
Body camera video showed Hill being repeatedly punched in the head by an officer while police tried to arrest him. The officer was placed on a 30-day unpaid suspension and Hill ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor last month.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Roebling protester's plea deal fell apart. Now they've been indicted
