Julian Assange’s June 2024 plea agreement brought his U.S. prosecution to an end with a time-served sentence. Daniel Hale also completed his custodial term that year, leaving home confinement on July 5.
Leonard Peltier remained imprisoned after a July parole denial. His supporters continued pressing for clemency as the Biden administration approached its final months.
Other cases moved toward different outcomes. Casey Goonan was federally indicted in July. The Merrimack Four entered misdemeanor pleas in November and received jail terms.
The year also saw thousands of arrests at pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. Arrests, university discipline and convictions were separate measures; no single national count captured all three.
These cases represent a selection of the year’s developments, rather than a complete count of people imprisoned, released or prosecuted.
