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By Matt Cannon
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Former CNN host Don Lemon is scheduled to appear at a federal court in Minnesota next Friday, four days later than the date initially set, over charges linked to a protest at a Minnesota church, court records show.
Federal Judge Douglas Micko on Wednesday ordered Lemon and Philadelphia student Jerome Richardson, who helped Lemon cover the demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul, to appear at 1 p.m. (noon ET) on February 13.
Lemon was at demonstrations in the church on January 18 that began because protesters said one of the pastors was a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official.
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An indictment named nine people—seven protesters, Lemon and a second journalist—charged with conspiracy to deprive church goers their rights and to interfere with religious freedom in a house of worship.
Lemon has vowed to fight the charges, saying, “I look forward to my day in court.”
Richardson has said he is being "targeted by [President Donald] Trump and the federal administration."
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Why It Matters
The scheduling marked the next step in a high-profile federal case stemming from a disruption of a church service that has drawn intense national attention and commentary about press freedom, protest tactics and the limits of federal law governing access to houses of worship.
The matter has also intersected with broader debates over federal enforcement responses to recent anti-ICE protests, with national figures weighing in on-air about consequences for those who attack federal property or personnel.
The church demonstration occurred amid heightened tensions in Minnesota, which was thrust into the center of the federal government's immigration enforcement efforts in December.
What To Know
An earlier attempt to prosecute Lemon failed when a magistrate judge who reviewed the evidence approved charges for only three of those involved. An appeals court later suggested prosecutors take the case to a federal grand jury, which ultimately approved charges against all nine defendants.
Lemon appeared in a federal courthouse in Los Angeles, where he was located to attend the Grammy Awards, last week after an overnight arrest tied to the disruption at the church. A magistrate judge denied prosecutors’ requests for bond and travel limits—that sought he be allowed to travel only to Minneapolis to face the charges, and New York, where he lives—before releasing him on his own recognizance.
Lemon was not asked to enter a plea, and his arraignment was initially scheduled for February 9.
A 14-page indictment of the demonstration nicknamed "Operation Pullup" by organizers said: "After the service commenced, a group of approximately 20-40 agitators, including all of the defendants named in this indictment, entered the Church in a coordinated takeover-style attack and engaged in acts of oppression, intimidation, threats, interference, and physical obstruction alleged herein.
"As a result of defendants' conduct, the pastor and congregation were forced to terminate the Church's worship service, congregants fled the Church building out of fear for their safety, other congregants took steps to implement an emergency plan, and young children were left to wonder, as one child put it, if their parents were going to die."
Lemon works as an independent journalist with a popular YouTube show, to which he was livestreaming the church demonstration, after being pushed out of CNN in 2023 after 17 years at the network. He is a longtime Trump critic.
Richardson, the 21-year-old from St. Paul, has said he helped Lemon with logistics and connecting with local activists.
Protesters said one of the church's pastors, David Easterwood, also led the local ICE field office overseeing operations. A photo of the pastor on the church's website closely resembles the David Easterwood who appeared alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a news conference in Minneapolis in October. The pastor's personal information appears to match the acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office, the Associated Press reported.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously told Newsweek that the department "will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers. Doxing our officers put their lives and their families in serious danger."
What People Are Saying
Don Lemon told reporters outside court in Los Angeles on Friday: “I’ve spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now. In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable. Again, I will not stop now. I will not stop ever."
Jerome Richardson, in a YouTube video attached to an online fundraising page: "Don was reporting on the situation on the ground during the occupation by DHS and ICE and Border Patrol agents. At that time, I was proud to support his work in exposing the everyday injustices that resulted from the agenda. As a consequence of this support, I'm now being targeted by Trump and the federal administration."
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, on the Fox News show Hannity on Monday: "So, anyone with a camera then would be allowed, under his [Lemon’s] theory, to come in and attack a church like that and riot a church on a Sunday morning. You can't do that in this country. It's illegal, we're going to prosecute you, and you will be held accountable. Doesn't matter if you're a failed journalist with a camera in your hand. You can’t do it."
Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Lemon, in a statement Friday: “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”
What Happens Next
Following arraignment, the court will set a schedule for pretrial motions Attorneys could challenge aspects of the case via motions to dismiss or to suppress evidence, based on standard federal criminal procedure.
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