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A federal judge opted not to press charges against journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon in connection with a protest at a church in Minneapolis over the past weekend. The decision didn’t sit well with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The Attorney General is enraged at the magistrate judge’s decision,” an unidentified source close to her office said to CNN. Bondi, along with President Donald Trump and other right-wing allies such as NIcki Minaj, had openly called for Lemon to be arrested after he was present for and broadcasted online an anti-ICE protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul last Sunday (January 18). “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist,” Lemon said at the time.
Protestors said they were at the church because one of the pastors, David Eastwood, is reportedly the acting field director for Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE)in the Twin Cities. They could be seen on video chanting “Justice for Renee Good” as the pastor overseeing the service repeatedly asking them to leave. Three of the protesters, including lawyer and former NAACP representative Nikema Levy Armstrong, were arrested on Thursday (January 22).
“The magistrate’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s first amendment protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter. It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist,” said Abbe Lowell, Lemon’s attorney to CNN.
Bondi and the Department of Justice alleged that Don Lemon’s presence along with the protesters was a violation of the churchgoers’ constitutional right to practice their religion, and that he didn’t have a right to be on the property. Judges rejecting a charge brought to them by prosecutors is “extremely rare”, according to former prosecutor Andrew Tassman.
“I really have not heard of it happen before,” he said to The Guardian. “Usually just because the prosecutor is usually very careful about alleging all the supporting facts that would support a charge.” Lemon is prepared to “fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” according to Lowell.
