Will Don Lemon Go To Jail?

A federal judge rejected criminal charges against Don Lemon for his involvement in a church protest, sparking controversy over judicial impartiality and the application of the FACE Act.

• A judge dismissed criminal charges against Don Lemon for a church protest, despite allegations of coordination and disruption.

• The FACE Act explicitly prohibits disrupting church services, contrary to Attorney General Keith Ellison's public defense of Lemon's actions.

• A potential conflict of interest emerged as the judge's wife works for Ellison, who is an ally of Lemon.

A federal judge blocked the Department of Justice's attempt to criminally charge Don Lemon for his alleged coordination and participation in a disruptive protest at a St. Paul church targeting a pastor who also served as an ICE director. This decision sparked debate regarding the judge's potential conflict of interest due to his wife's employment under Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who publicly defended Lemon and misinterpreted the FACE Act. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local authorities in cities like Minneapolis, where lack of cooperation is seen as contributing to chaos.

Don Lemon Not Charged

• 00:00:00 A federal judge rejected the Department of Justice's attempt to criminally charge former CNN host Don Lemon for his presence during a protest at a St. Paul church. Lemon was allegedly involved in coordinating the disruption, where protesters, including civil rights attorney Nikima Levy Armstrong, interrupted a church service to question a pastor about his dual role as an ICE director. This rejection of charges represents an 'extraordinary rebuke' of the Justice Department's forceful response to demonstrations against ICE officers.

FACE Act Misinterpretation

• 00:03:05 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison defended Don Lemon's actions, claiming that chanting is freedom of expression and misinterpreting the FACE Act. However, the FACE Act explicitly protects religious freedom and imposes criminal penalties on anyone who disrupts church services by physical obstruction, intentionally interfering with worship. This bipartisan law, passed in 1994, was designed to protect both abortion clinics and places of religious worship from disruptive protests, clearly covering actions like those seen in the church incident.

Judicial Conflict of Interest

• 00:02:36 Concerns have been raised regarding a potential conflict of interest, as the judge who rejected the indictment against Don Lemon has a wife who works as an assistant attorney general in Minnesota under Keith Ellison. Ellison is a known ally of Don Lemon, having appeared on Lemon's show to defend his actions. Representative Tom Emmer criticized Ellison, stating he needs a 'refresher course in law' for suggesting that interrupting a faith community's worship is a First Amendment right.

Minneapolis & ICE Tensions

• 00:07:06 The protest incident is contributing to significant tension with ICE in places like Minneapolis, where Vice President Vance emphasized that the chaos in immigration enforcement stems from local authorities not cooperating with federal agencies. He pointed out that other 'blue cities' like Memphis, Tennessee, do not experience similar issues because their local police and authorities work with DHS. Vance also stressed that protesting ICE agents does not grant permission to obstruct federal law, physically assault agents, or dox them, underscoring that while peaceful protest is acceptable, violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.