Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty to civil rights charges in Minnesota church protest

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN big turned autarkic writer Don Lemon pleaded not blameworthy to national civilian rights charges Friday, pursuing a protestation astatine a Minnesota religion wherever an Immigration and Customs Enforcement authoritative is simply a pastor. Four others besides pleaded not blameworthy successful the case.

Lemon did not remark to reporters arsenic helium entered the courthouse accompanied by his attorney, Joe Thompson. Roughly 2 twelve protesters stood extracurricular the building, chanting “Pam Bondi has got to go” and “Protect the press."

Civil rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong was among the defendants to plead not guilty. The salient section activistic was the taxable of a doctored photograph posted connected authoritative White House societal media that falsely showed her crying during her arrest. The representation is portion of a deluge of AI-altered imagery that has circulated since the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by national officers successful Minneapolis amid the Trump administration's migration crackdown.

Lemon's lawyer Abbe David Lowell told the justice that she volition rise First Amendment issues successful the case. The seasoned writer has said helium was astatine the religion to chronicle the protestation but was not a participant.

Lowell besides asked for Lemon's telephone to beryllium returned aft it was taken from him during his apprehension successful Los Angeles. Prosecutors said the telephone is successful Department of Homeland Security custody, and that the hunt warrant for it is nether seal. The telephone cannot beryllium returned until the hunt process is completed, the authoritative said.

Two much defendants accused successful the protestation astatine a Southern Baptist religion successful St. Paul are scheduled for arraignment adjacent week, including different autarkic journalist, Georgia Fort. Nine radical person been charged successful the case.

Protesters interrupted a work astatine Cities Church connected Jan. 18 by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” referring to the 37-year-old parent of 3 who was fatally changeable by an ICE serviceman successful Minneapolis past month. Lemon has said helium is not affiliated with the radical and that helium was determination arsenic a writer to chronicle the lawsuit for his livestream show.

“I person spent my full vocation covering the news. I volition not halt now. In fact, determination is nary much important clip than close now, this precise infinitesimal for a escaped and autarkic media that shines a airy connected the information and holds those successful powerfulness accountable,” Lemon told reporters aft his arrest.

The religion protestation drew crisp complaints from blimpish spiritual and governmental leaders. White House property caput Karoline Leavitt warned successful a societal media post: “President Trump volition not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians successful their ineffable places of worship.” Even clergy who reason the administration's migration enforcement tactics expressed discomfort.

All 9 are charged nether the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits interference oregon intimidation of “any idiosyncratic by force, menace of force, oregon carnal obstruction exercising oregon seeking to workout the First Amendment close of spiritual state astatine a spot of spiritual worship.” Penalties tin scope up to a twelvemonth successful situation and up to a $10,000 fine.

Thompson is 1 of respective erstwhile prosecutors who person near the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office successful caller weeks citing vexation with the Trump administration’s migration enforcement crackdown successful the authorities and the Justice Department’s effect to the sidesplitting of Good and Pretti.

One of 4 lawyers registered to correspond Lemon, Thompson had led the sprawling probe of large nationalist programme fraud cases for the prosecutors bureau until helium resigned past month. The Trump medication has cited the fraud cases, successful which astir defendants person travel from the state’s ample Somali community, arsenic justification for its migration crackdown.

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