Brian Jacob Church, Brent Betterly and Jared Chase were acquitted of charges including material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and possession of an incendiary device with intent to commit offense of terrorism.

The defendants were found guilty of two much lesser mob action charges.

After nearly three weeks of trial proceedings, the jury in the case deliberated for just under eight hours before the verdict was read at around 16:15 CST. Closing arguments lasted around five hours on Thursday.

Illinois state prosecutors and attorneys for the defense said the verdict in the trial would create a clear line between terrorism and violence. In addition, throughout the case, the defense showed how much the supposed plot to use molotov cocktails in Chicago during the 2012 NATO meeting was shepherded by law enforcement, highlighting increased counter-terrorism operations by police in the US that critics say border on entrapment.

“When your hatred boils over into plots of violence, you've crossed the line — the line that protects us all,” said Assistant State's Attorney John Blakey before jurors on Thursday.

“Is this what the war on terror has come to?” asked attorney Molly Armour, who represents Betterly.