Don Lemon Faces Legal Scrutiny After Church Protest, Magistrate Refuses to Sign Complaint
A Minnesota federal magistrate judge has declined to approve charges against self-reliant journalist Don Lemon stemming from a protest inside a St. Paul church on Sunday, sparking a clash between the Justice Department and the judiciary.
A source familiar with the proceedings told CBS News that the Attorney General is “enraged” by the magistrate’s decision. Attorney General Pam Bondi has reportedly been in Minnesota for the past two days as the Justice Department attempts to bolster prosecutorial and law enforcement resources in the area. However, another source cautioned that the legal process is ongoing and the Department of Justice may pursue alternative avenues to charge Lemon.
On Thursday, Bondi announced the arrests of Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a member of the St. Paul School Board, and Nekima Levy Armstrong, alleging Armstrong’s involvement in organizing the presentation. A source confirmed that a magistrate judge did approve charges against Allen and Armstrong.
Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem stated that Armstrong is facing federal charges under 18 USC 241, a civil rights law prohibiting conspiracy to interfere with constitutionally protected rights, including the free exercise of religion. The protest occurred after demonstrators learned an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official was reportedly one of the pastors at St. Paul’s Cities Church.
The demonstrations in the Twin Cities, and clashes between residents and federal immigration officers, have been a daily occurrence since the trump governance deployed thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents to the region. Protesters are demanding accountability for the January 7th shooting death of Renee Good, a U.S.citizen and Minneapolis resident, by an ICE officer. Lemon,formerly an anchor at CNN,attended the protest,wich disrupted the Sunday service and led congregants to leave.
During an interview with the pastor, Lemon asserted, “There’s a constitution and a First Amendment, and freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest.” His attorney,Abbe Lowell,released a statement on Thursday,arguing that the magistrate’s decision “confirm[s] the nature of Don’s First amendment protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter.” Lowell further stated that Lemon “will call out their latest attack on the rule of law and fight any charges vigorously and thoroughly in court” should the Department of Justice proceed with what he termed a “stunning and troubling effort to silence and punish a journalist for doing his job.”
However,Harmeet Dhillon,Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division,has publicly suggested Lemon could face charges for his role in the disruption. Dhillon stated during an appearance on the “Benny Show,” hosted by far-right podcaster Benny Johnson, that being a journalist “is not a badge or a shield that protects you from criminal consequences.” She declined to comment further when contacted by CBS News.
The U.S. attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., encountered similar obstacles last year after a surge of federal agents deployed by President Trump to address violent crime. Prosecutors were directed to pursue federal charges whenever possible, a strategy that ultimately faltered as grand juries rejected cases and magistrate judges challenged those they deemed flimsy or constitutionally flawed.
In an October 8,2025,opinion,Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia revealed that the government dismissed 21% of all cases charged by criminal complaint over an eight-week period beginning in August – a significant increase compared to the 0.5% dismissal rate over the previous decade. Judge Faruqui described this statistic as “shocking.”
the situation underscores a growing tension between the executive branch’s pursuit of aggressive law enforcement tactics and the judiciary’s role in safeguarding constitutional rights, notably those related to free speech and a free press.
Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.
