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Don Lemon Released on Bail After Federal Arrest Over Minnesota Church Protest

Prosecutors accuse him of a civil-rights conspiracy under the FACE Act, a posture press advocates say threatens newsgathering.

Overview

  • Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammys, then freed on bail after a court appearance in downtown L.A.
  • Lemon’s release includes standard conditions such as avoiding contact with known witnesses, victims and co-defendants, with his next hearing set for Feb. 9 in Minneapolis.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi said Lemon, Georgia Fort, Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy were arrested over a "coordinated attack" on Cities Church in St. Paul.
  • Authorities cite alleged conspiracy to deprive civil rights and FACE Act violations, while Lemon and Fort say they were documenting the Jan. 18 protest as journalists.
  • A magistrate judge previously rejected initial charging efforts for insufficient evidence, and the arrests have drawn sharp criticism from press groups and Democratic officials.