U.S. journalist arrested while covering protest in Iowa goes on trial If convicted on the misdemeanor charges, Andrea Sahouri could be fined hundreds of dollars, sentenced to 30 days and will have a criminal record. Â Â Police arrest newspaper reporter Andrea Sahouri after a Black Lives Matter protest she was covering on May 31 in Des Moines, Iowa. [ KATIE AKIN | AP ] Updated Mar. 8 IOWA CITY, Iowa â A journalist went on trial Monday on charges stemming from her coverage of a protest against racial injustice in Des Moines last year after Iowa prosecutors defied international pressure to drop a rare effort to punish a working reporter.