It might not matter. The law appears to state that it is illegal for anybody to disrupt a church service. That might include a journalist barging into "interview" people.
I strongly suspect that there why only the indies showed up.
It clearly shows that little voices were telling him that following the others in was not a good idea. Too bad he did not listen to those voices.
That aside, there seems to be some legal issues that may need to be resolved by appellate courts:
- Are journalists truly participants? (one...
Subjectively, I think you are right.
I watched the "warm up" video he made prior to barging into the church. He was basically interviewing himself. One of his rhetorical questions was centered on a belief that he was still a nationally known news figure.
That aside, he had the brains to...
No really.
One journalist disrupted the services of what some may deem to be a "White Supremacist Church". Thinking that there might be similar idiot journalists out there willing to disrupt what others deem to be a "Terrorist Mosque".
All journalists of who do this need to go to jail- fast.
Though I have no idea as to whether this is a legal definition.
Its is very obvious that anybody can be an "independent journalist"- wink, nod, giggle, giggle at anytime as nearly everything in the "definition" is a matter of opinion.
The law that you cited implied that it is illegal for anybody ("journalist, non journalist etc) to interfere with a worship service. That might include following people in and giving "interviews".
In short, Lemon might not need to be part of a "protest". Rather, he might just have needed to...
The two things are separate matters.
Freedom of Religion means little if it can be disrupted at anytime because person "X" feels that there are "uncool" people associated with that church, mosque etc.
Nor does the ability to worship freely depend on whether person "P" has an arrest record...
Reporting or "reporting"?
Thinking if I barged into a mosque service to "interview" an Imam about terrorism, I would not be functioning as a journalist at that point.
Then again, there would probably be some who would find me to be "one of the good guys". Objectively, however, I would expect...
Thinking if I follow others into a mosque and shove my phone into an Imams face- then "interview" him about terrorism- while ordering him not to push me- wink, nod, there is a chance I might not be functioning as an "independent journalist".
That aside, you do have good points. As much as I...
Reading the law cited by @otto , my guess is that Don Lemon is going to get squeezed. His status as journalist might not matter.
The law states that it is illegal for anybody to interfere with a religious service by physical obstruction at a place of worship. So.... Lemon following the...
There is no statutory basis for the vast majority of government ranks.
Rather, with very few exceptions, the executive branch can create rank at will. For example: Covid-19 Response Coordinator (aka Covid Czar) etc.
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