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Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to Church Protest Charges

The freelance journalist was arrested after reporting on a protest at a St. Paul church.

Journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty to all charges related to his coverage of anti-ICE protests in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a court appearance on Friday. Lemon, 59, was asked by Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko if he understood the charges against him and was aware of his constitutional rights, to which Lemon answered affirmatively. Micko is the same judge who refused to sign the Department of Justice’s original attempt to criminally charge the journalist. A prosecutor said that during the arrest, authorities took Lemon’s cellphone and obtained a search warrant. Abbe Lowell, Lemon’s lawyer, said the phone seizure was a possible “over-execution.” Federal prosecutors charged Lemon with conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship after he attended and reported on an anti-ICE protest at a church on January 18. A federal grand jury indicted Lemon and eight other co-defendants late last month. The Daily Beast reached out to Lemon for comment.

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Vic VerbalaitisNight Breaking News Reporter

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