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

[BeginnerSleuther]

The substance. The Lemon indictment is more detailed.

MOO.

Detailed with emotional language that means nothing. The other case was way more substantial. The Lemon indictment is pretty shallow by comparison.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Yes it does. Miller argued that there was a journalist privilege in the Constitution. The courts said no.

MOO

No they didn't. They never said that. Ever. Freedom of the press absolutely exists and not one Supreme Court justice or court has said otherwise. The Miller case was not about the press's right to cover news. It was about revealing sources. The court was tasked with determining the limitations of freedom of the press, not with determining whether or not it exists.

That's like saying if the court holds responsible someone who yells fire in a crowded theater, causing people to be trampled to death despite there being no fire, then that means the courts think there's no such thing as free speech.

Again, false equivalency. These things are not even remotely similar.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

It was to the grand jury. That is a lower standard of proof that criminal guilt.

Lemon is claiming that, under the 1st Amendment, he has this privilege, to accompany criminals in criminal acts, and engage in them.

MOO

Yes, he is claiming that under 1A he has a right to cover news, which he did. Miller claimed under 1A she has a right to keep sources private. The courts said 1A does not specify she can keep sources private despite court order to reveal them. This is an entirely different thing.

MOO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

No they didn't. They never said that. Ever. Freedom of the press absolutely exists and not one Supreme Court justice or court has said otherwise. The Miller case was not about this.

That's like saying if the court holds responsible someone who yells fire in a crowded theater, causing people to be trampled to death despite there being no fire, then that means the courts think there's no such thing as free speech.

Again, false equivalency. These things are not even remotely similar.

MOO.

You may also want to look at Branzburg https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/408/665/

The record on special privileges for journalist in federal court is not good.

MOO

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Detailed with emotional language that means nothing. The other case was way more substantial. The Lemon indictment is pretty shallow by comparison.

MOO.

I would call the language factual.

IMO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Facing charges over his presence at a church protest challenging the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Mr. Lemon has hired as one of his defense lawyers a veteran criminal litigator who, until just weeks ago, was helping lead the prosecutor’s office that has charged Mr. Lemon with felonies.

Joseph H. Thompson, a former senior federal prosecutor who resigned from the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota in mid-January over the Justice Department’s handling of the immigration operation, has joined Mr. Lemon’s defense team, according to a court filing.

Mr. Thompson’s appointment is the latest plot twist in a high-profile case that has been anomalous from the start. By representing the most prominent of nine defendants charged in the church protest case, Mr. Thompson will face off against a department that employed him for nearly 17 years. Mr. Thompson will work alongside Mr. Lemon’s lead defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

Don Lemon Hires Federal Prosecutor Joseph H. Thompson in Minneapolis Church Protest Case

Facing charges over his role at a church protest, Mr. Lemon, a journalist, retained a veteran litigator who recently resigned from the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota.

www.nytimes.com

Six Prosecutors Quit Over Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim’s Widow

Joseph H. Thompson, a career federal prosecutor who was the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota last year, was among those who resigned as the Justice Department sought to examine the woman’s supposed ties to activist groups.

www.nytimes.com

This is amazing! Serves the DOJ right. I hope all the other prosecutors who resigned also join the team!

MOO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Yes, he is claiming that under 1A he has a right to cover news, which he did. Miller claimed under 1A she has a right to keep sources private. The courts said 1A does not specify she can keep sources private despite court order to reveal them. This is an entirely different thing.

MOO.

Where do you thing the right to cover a story exists?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

This is amazing! Serves the DOJ right. I hope all the other prosecutors who resigned also join the team!

MOO.

Perhaps they look at the conflict of interest issues.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

You may also want to look at Branzburg https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/408/665/

The record on special privileges for journalist in federal court is not good.

MOO

No, thank you. You've posted multiple cases now that have no relevance to this case. I think I'll stick to news simply on this case and any external research I want to do, I'll find on my own. I don't have time to read endless historic cases that have very little, if anything, to do with this thread or this case.

MOO.

 

[Hexe]

You may also want to look at Branzburg https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/408/665/

The record on special privileges for journalist in federal court is not good.

MOO

To quote from the page you linked:

A reporter cannot claim First Amendment protection in withholding confidentially received information from a grand jury.

Again, totally different case. You are trying to compare apples to flying saucers.

And again, Don Lemon did not claim any privilege.

MOO

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Where do you thing the right to cover a story exists?

Literally, in the language of 1A. You should read the actual amendment.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Perhaps they look at the conflict of interest issues.

MOO.

Well, there are none, IMO, and challenging it based on nonsense only reeks of their desperation.

MOO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

No, thank you. You've posted multiple cases now that have no relevance to this case. I think I'll stick to news simply on this case and any external research I want to do, I'll find on my own. I don't have time to read endless historic cases that have very little, if anything, to do with this thread or this case.

MOO.

Whether or not you read them does not mean that the courts won't.

The courts have been skeptical of some sort of special privilege to report (as opposed to disseminate).

MOO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Literally, in the language of 1A. You should read the actual amendment.

MOO.

As the case law supporting that is what?

 

[SouthAussie]

Perhaps they look at the conflict of interest issues.

MOO.

It aligns perfectly with his interests. He resigned due to the federal handling of Renee's killing. He made it clear that he was not going to participate in the attempt to swing the blame for Renee's killing elsewhere. As the articles show.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Thompson worked on the Boelter case, he spoke at this press conference.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

It aligns perfectly with his interests. He resigned due to the federal handling of Renee's killing. He made it clear that he was not going to participate in the attempt to swing the blame for Renee's killing elsewhere. As the articles show.

If he was there during pre case discussion its a conflict of interest.

 

[Ruminations]

Facing charges over his presence at a church protest challenging the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Mr. Lemon has hired as one of his defense lawyers a veteran criminal litigator who, until just weeks ago, was helping lead the prosecutor’s office that has charged Mr. Lemon with felonies.

Joseph H. Thompson, a former senior federal prosecutor who resigned from the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota in mid-January over the Justice Department’s handling of the immigration operation, has joined Mr. Lemon’s defense team, according to a court filing.

Mr. Thompson’s appointment is the latest plot twist in a high-profile case that has been anomalous from the start. By representing the most prominent of nine defendants charged in the church protest case, Mr. Thompson will face off against a department that employed him for nearly 17 years. Mr. Thompson will work alongside Mr. Lemon’s lead defense lawyer, Abbe Lowell.

Don Lemon Hires Federal Prosecutor Joseph H. Thompson in Minneapolis Church Protest Case

Facing charges over his role at a church protest, Mr. Lemon, a journalist, retained a veteran litigator who recently resigned from the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota.

www.nytimes.com

Six Prosecutors Quit Over Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim’s Widow

Joseph H. Thompson, a career federal prosecutor who was the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota last year, was among those who resigned as the Justice Department sought to examine the woman’s supposed ties to activist groups.

www.nytimes.com

This is quite interesting.

A high-ranking official that felt he had to leave the US attorney's office because of bogus and over-zealous pressure to prosecute Renee Good's surviving family is now defending a different victim of a bogus and over-zealous prosecution that occurred after he and others left.

He knows exactly what pressures his former colleagues faced, and he knows the weaknesses.

Oh my. If this weren't so serious I'd make a popcorn joke.

MOO

 

[Ruminations]

that video is certainly going to be an exhibit in the US case against the defendants. Pretty damning stuff.

Enlighten us.

What is damning to the subjects of this thread, Lemon and Fort?

MOO

 

[Inthedetails]

This is quite interesting.

A high-ranking official that felt he had to leave the US attorney's office because of bogus and over-zealous pressure to prosecute Renee Good's surviving family is now defending a different victim of a bogus and over-zealous prosecution that occurred after he and others left.

He knows exactly what pressures his former colleagues faced, and he knows the weaknesses.

Oh my. If this weren't so serious I'd make a popcorn joke.

MOO

Seems like journalist Don Lemon has assembled a dream team for his defense.

jmo