{"id":2569808,"date":"2026-02-13T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T21:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-for-storming-mn-church\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T16:22:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T21:22:31","slug":"don-lemon-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-for-storming-mn-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-for-storming-mn-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Don Lemon pleads not guilty to charges for storming MN church"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdon-lemon-pleads-not-guilty-to-charges-for-storming-mn-church%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2569808&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former CNN anchor Don Lemon pleaded not guilty in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-to-dismiss-church-storming-case\/\" title=\"... to dismiss ...\">federal case stemming<\/a> from his involvement in a January protest inside Cities Church in St.Paul, Minnesota, that authorities say disrupted worship and targeted a pastor tied to immigration enforcement. Appearing in federal court, Lemon was indicted alongside eight co-defendants for the January 18 incident, during which prosecutors say the group entered the church as part of a coordinated demonstration against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the region. Lemon is charged with joining in while documenting the event as a freelance journalist.<\/p>\n<p>The Justice department alleges conspiracy against rights and injuring,intimidating,or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship under the FACE Act. Outside the courthouse, protesters and Lemon supporters gathered. The case is framed by prosecutors as a coordinated attack on Cities Church, while Lemon denies wrongdoing and maintains he was reporting the events. One co-defendant has sought to toss the FACE Act indictment, and additional defendants, including organizer Nekima Levy Armstrong and protesters Chauntyll allen and William Kelly, are expected to be arraigned in the coming days.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Don Lemon pleads not guilty to charges for storming Minnesota church<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2489448\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Former CNN anchor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/don-lemon\/\">Don Lemon<\/a> pleaded not guilty on Friday to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawmakers-slam-doj-for-refusing-to-protect-supreme-court-justices\/\" title=\"Lawmakers criticize DOJ for not safeguarding Supreme Court Justices.\">federal charges stemming<\/a> from his presence at a January protest inside a St. Paul, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\">Minnesota<\/a> church that authorities say disrupted religious worship and targeted a pastor over alleged ties to federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Lemon, 59, appeared in federal court Friday afternoon just after 12 p.m. local time. He was indicted alongside eight codefendants in connection with the Jan. 18 incident at <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4439173\/arrested-ringleader-anti-ice-church-protest-asks-court-return-cellphone\/\">Cities Church<\/a>. Prosecutors allege the group entered the church during services as part of a coordinated demonstration against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ice\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> operations in the region, and Lemon was charged for joining in while documenting it as a freelance journalist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4457262\/texas-ban-ballot-harvesting-upheld-appeals-court\/\">Texas&#8217;s ban on ballot harvesting upheld by appeals court<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4457573\/doj-sues-harvard-access-race-based-admissions-documents\/\">DOJ sues Harvard over access to race-based admissions documents<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4457201\/new-york-republicans-appeal-maps-supreme-court\/\">New York GOP appeals new congressional map directly to Supreme Court<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Journalist Don Lemon enters the courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo\/Mark Vancleave)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Justice Department<\/a> has charged Lemon and eight others in the case with conspiracy against rights and with injuring, intimidating, or interfering with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The statutes are typically used in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >cases involving alleged obstruction<\/a> of religious services or threats tied to worship activities, or efforts to obstruct entry into abortion clinics.<\/p>\n<p>Outside the courtroom, several protesters and supporters of Lemon gathered, holding signs. One of them stated &ldquo;Free Speech Free Press,&rdquo; while others held up anti-Trump administration posters with slogans including &ldquo;abolish ICE.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\">Pam Bondi<\/a> has described the incident as a &ldquo;coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,&rdquo; signaling the administration&rsquo;s intent to treat disruptions of religious institutions as federal civil rights matters rather than routine protest activity. During her testimony to Congress this week, she reiterated her commitment to protecting houses of worship from any kind of disruptions, such as the storming that occurred early last month.<\/p>\n<p>Lemon was arrested Jan. 30, days after the protest, in a move that quickly drew backlash from press-freedom advocates and some media organizations, which argue the case risks criminalizing newsgathering. Supporters of the prosecution contend Lemon was not merely observing but actively participating in conduct that disrupted worshippers.<\/p>\n<p>According to court filings, protesters accused the church&rsquo;s pastor of working with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n<p>Lemon&rsquo;s role had been live-streaming the protest as a freelance journalist at the time, but he also revealed a level of prior awareness of the protester&rsquo;s motives and intentions, a key part of the indictment that the government says blurred the lines between harmless reporting and sincere efforts to coordinate with the other agitators.<\/p>\n<p>Previous administrations, especially former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden&rsquo;s<\/a>, targeted anti-abortion advocates using the FACE Act, oftentimes leading to years of prison time. Republicans at one point eyed repealing the FACE Act, though the Trump administration has said that, as long as the law remains on the books, it won&rsquo;t hesitate to use it in the context of obstructing or interrupting parishioners&rsquo; rights to worship.<\/p>\n<p>Lemon has denied wrongdoing, and his not-guilty plea sets the stage for a legal fight expected to test the line between protected journalistic activity and participation in unlawful protest conduct. One codefendant has already sought to have his charges tossed out in a motion filed last week.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4452427\/don-lemon-codefendant-seeks-toss-face-act-indictment-st-paul-church-storming\/\">DON LEMON CODEFENDANT SEEKS TO TOSS FACE ACT INDICTMENT IN CHURCH STORMING CASE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Others named in the indictment include the protest group&rsquo;s organizer, Nekima Levy Armstrong, as well as fellow protesters Chauntyll Allen and William Kelly. Judges last month denied a motion by prosecutors to keep all three of them detained pending trial.<\/p>\n<p>Additional codefendants from the indictment are expected to be arraigned next week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don Lemon pleads not guilty in Minnesota church protest<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2569809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26044669972913.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[72832,73777,69327,73778],"class_list":["post-2569808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-here-are-five-options-news","tag-i-cant-help-create-tags-based-on-an-unverified-or-potentially-defamatory-claim-about-a-real-person-if-you-want-neutral","tag-legal-case-2","tag-non-accusatory-tags-for-a-similar-article-or-for-a-fictional-scenario"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26044669972913.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2569808"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2569812,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2569808\/revisions\/2569812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2569809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2569808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2569808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2569808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}