Federal judge asked to drop charges against Don Lemon over St Paul church protest

Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, asked a federal judge to dismiss criminal civil-rights charges against him on 7 August 2026. The charges relate to his presence at an anti-ICE protest inside a St Paul, Minnesota church on 18 January 2026. Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on 29 January 2026 while covering the Grammy Awards, in connection with the earlier protest.

The charges allege Lemon violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits intimidation or interference with individuals’ constitutional right to practice religion. Lemon has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers argue the indictment is motivated by President Donald Trump’s animus toward Lemon and violates the First Amendment. They claim the Justice Department acted on Trump’s hostility by filing charges against a journalist for reporting on the protest.

Lemon’s legal team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, wrote in the motion that the government’s case agent falsely claimed Lemon joined protesters by chanting and obstructing parishioners. Lemon has consistently stated he was present as a journalist covering the demonstration, which he livestreamed. The motion also describes the arrest as an effort to humiliate Lemon, noting federal agents arrested him at his Los Angeles hotel at midnight while he was covering the Grammy Awards.

“The government should not be permitted to use criminal prosecutions to chill journalism disfavored by the President.”

What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet ran the story at all, according to the reports below. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned Lemon’s challenge to the constitutionality of the FACE Act, which the Minnesota Reformer’s digest highlighted as potentially having far-reaching consequences. Only Variety’s full report included Lemon’s statement that the Justice Department sought to "embarrass" and "instill fear" in him.