A federal magistrate judge has rejected prosecutors’ initial attempt to bring criminal charges against former CNN anchor Don Lemon in connection with his presence at a church protest in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to CBS News.
The decision marks an early setback for the U.S. Department of Justice’s effort to pursue a high-profile case tied to the disruption of a Sunday worship service at Cities Church by anti-ICE demonstrators — a protest Lemon livestreamed and documented on Sunday.
According to a person familiar with the matter, the attorney general was “enraged” over the magistrate judge’s ruling. Pam Bondi has spent the past two days in Minnesota meeting with federal prosecutors from the state, looking for avenues to charge Lemon.
On Sunday, Lemon became the center of a national controversy after he entered the church with activists during a service in St. Paul and broadcast the event live on social media. Federal officials said they were investigating whether the protest violated civil rights laws and whether Lemon’s actions went beyond journalism.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, leading the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, publicly signaled the department’s intention to pursue charges not only against protesters but also against Lemon, suggesting possible violations of the Enforcement Act of 1871 — commonly called the Ku Klux Klan Act — and the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Officials suggested those statutes could apply if the disruption at the church were found to have interfered with worshippers’ rights or to have been part of a conspiracy to impede civil rights.
However, the magistrate judge reviewing the government’s request declined to authorize the initial charging attempt, effectively blocking prosecutors’ first attempt to file formal charges.
The decision means the government will need to revise its legal approach, provide additional evidence, or pursue a different avenue if it still intends to charge Lemon.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Charge Lemon in Federal court!
NAME THE DAMNED JUDGE! LET US KNOW WHO IT IS THAT IS AGAINST TRUE JUSTICE.
Our country is done if we don’t remove these liberal, activist judges and get back to following our laws and constitution.
How the hell is this country being run, by a duly elected President and his appointed Attorney General or a Judicial Oligarchy??? This is way out of hand.
Hit everyone that was involved in the protest with charges. People that were just walking around at the capitol on Jan. 6th received charges. They did the same thing, didn’t they?