MN - Journalist Don Lemon arrested for church protest, Minneapolis, 18 Jan 2026

[J. J. in Phila]

The video shows those allegations are garbage.

No, it does not, and the transcripts have been reported.

 

[Inthedetails]

A federal magistrate initially rejected the charge against Mr Lemon. A grand jury then agreed to it. After being charged, Mr Lemon says he offered to turn himself in for booking. Instead, around a dozen federal agents appeared at his hotel, tackled and handcuffed him and hauled him away. ...

Mr Trump’s critics say this is yet another example of how he has weaponised the supposedly impartial Department of Justice against those who annoy him or try to thwart his policies...

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/02/05/federal-prosecutors-in-minnesota-are-cracking-down-on-dissent

About the source, bbm: The Economist is an international weekly newspaper founded in 1843. It is published in print and in a digital magazine format from its headquarters in London. The Economist focuses on international business, politics and technology.

The Economist Bias and Reliability | Ad Fontes Media

Ad Fontes Media rates The Economist, an international weekly newspaper founded in 1843, as neutral/balanced in terms of bias and most reliable in terms ...

adfontesmedia.com

 

[J. J. in Phila]

A federal magistrate initially rejected the charge against Mr Lemon. A grand jury then agreed to it. After being charged, Mr Lemon says he offered to turn himself in for booking. Instead, around a dozen federal agents appeared at his hotel, tackled and handcuffed him and hauled him away. ...

Mr Trump’s critics say this is yet another example of how he has weaponised the supposedly impartial Department of Justice against those who annoy him or try to thwart his policies...

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/02/05/federal-prosecutors-in-minnesota-are-cracking-down-on-dissent

About the source, bbm: The Economist is an international weekly newspaper founded in 1843. It is published in print and in a digital magazine format from its headquarters in London. The Economist focuses on international business, politics and technology.

The Economist Bias and Reliability | Ad Fontes Media

Ad Fontes Media rates The Economist, an international weekly newspaper founded in 1843, as neutral/balanced in terms of bias and most reliable in terms ...

adfontesmedia.com

Like I said, that the grand jury does not answer, to, or is influenced by, Trump.

 

[witchway]

Like I said, that the grand jury does not answer, to, or is influenced by, Trump.

However this whole situation was politicized. From the beginning. This was by all accounts not normal. Judges refused to sign, attorneys refused to present indictments.

Rather than career staff, the document lists high-level political appointees like Pam Bondi (Attorney General), Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights), and Daniel Rosen (U.S. Attorney for Minnesota). We can go on. But these facts are spread through out and easily verified. JMO

 

[J. J. in Phila]

However this whole situation was politicized. From the beginning. This was by all accounts not normal. Judges refused to sign, attorneys refused to present indictments.

Rather than career staff, the document lists high-level political appointees like Pam Bondi (Attorney General), Harmeet Dhillon (Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights), and Daniel Rosen (U.S. Attorney for Minnesota). We can go on. But these facts are spread through out and easily verified. JMO

Yes, on both sides, but it is very hard to get that into a grand jury.

 

[Ruminations]

Same way anyone in that church service or the law enforcement involved in this case could be lying too, right? I mean, if you don’t think she’s being honest, then why do you believe others involved are? Is there a certain quality involved that one would possess that makes you believe that one group or individual are being honest or not?

For example, Pam Bondi is already infamous for her lies about the Epstein files.

So, there's that.

The protesters have not been publicly caught in lies that I am aware of.

MOO

 

[Ruminations]

I do not follow. What dors time have to do with evidence presented to the GJ?

Nothing. Because prosecutors did not use the GJ for a lot of time to preserve witness testimony, as they could have for a different type of case.

The person posting that is apparently not aware of how quickly the GJ turned this around. And it still wasn't fast enough for the political prosecutors, because they tried going to TWO judges before the GJ could meet.

This is not a situation where there is any evidence that the GJ took a minute longer than necessary to approve the arrests.

There are cases where prosecution has to tread carefully. Victims who were children when they were harmed are very vulnerable. A grand jury is secret, so abusers might not find out who testified or what was said ever, unless it comes out in trial. And, if abusers convince victims to not to testify at trial, victims already did testify and prosecutors have their sworn statements. If the case never goes to trial, the victims at least didn't have to testify in public.

Sometimes, a grand jury is used for many, many hours to build a case. Sometimes, it's in and out to get the go ahead to prosecute it.

A long investigation is not how grand juries "work" all the time. It is how they "work" sometimes. There is not a scintilla of evidence that this case was handled with an investigative grand jury. This particular grand jury likely took even less time than the judges who rejected the case, because the judges probably asked more questions.

MOO

 

[Inthedetails]

By Georgia Fort, Feb 5, 2026 in New York Times. Georgia Fort is the other journalist arrested, along with Don Lemon, for reporting on the church protest. This is an essay by her.

Opinion | I Was Arrested for Doing My Job as a Reporter. Who’s Next?

I covered a Minnesota church protest. Press credentials didn’t protect me.

www.nytimes.com