A federal judge has found Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander not guilty of misdemeanor obstruction charges related to an incident at a New York City federal building in September. According to reports, Lander was arrested after a protest connected to immigration detention and court-related access. The case focused on prosecutors’ claims that Lander obstructed access to an elevator while he sat in front of it for about 20 to 25 minutes. The defense argued against the obstruction allegation and Lander maintained that he was acting in connection with the protest. The judge ruled that prosecutors did not meet the burden required for a conviction, resulting in an acquittal. Following the decision, Lander publicly said the outcome reflected “the rule of law,” and he also commented on his legal representation and the judge’s handling of the case. The ruling ends the criminal matter described by the sources, which stemmed from the September attempt to enter or inspect an immigration holding facility in Manhattan. The decision is limited to the specific misdemeanor obstruction charge at issue in federal court.