Lemon details arrest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Journalist Don Lemon appeared on Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and described his arrest at a Beverly Hills hotel. He had been staying there while covering the lead-up to Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Lemon, a former anchor, faced arrest Friday in Los Angeles County. Authorities charged him with violating worshippers’ rights at a St. Paul church on January 17 after he reported on protesters interrupting services.
However, Lemon said his lawyer contacted federal authorities to arrange a standard surrender, but the officials never responded. Consequently, about a dozen law enforcement officers later arrested him.
“They want to embarrass you,” Lemon told Kimmel. “They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear.”
The Department of Justice did not immediately comment on Lemon’s remarks.
Arrest followed prior warnings
Lemon explained that Trump administration officials had suggested he could be arrested after the church protest. Therefore, he hired a lawyer in advance.
He said agents informed him at his hotel that they would take him into custody. Lemon added that officers initially could not present a warrant. Eventually, an FBI agent showed him a photo of the warrant on a cellphone after escorting him outside.
Because he had offered to surrender, Lemon called the arrest “a waste, Jimmy, of resources.”
Detention and lack of communication
Lemon spent more than 12 hours in a holding room. During that time, he did not know that news outlets covered his arrest extensively. Even when a federal facility employee informed him he was on CNN nonstop, he could not make calls or contact his lawyer.
Context of the protest
Protesters entered Cities Church on January 18 to oppose the pastor’s role with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Federal agents clashed with protesters in the Twin Cities, sometimes violently.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the protest a “coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”
The complaint claims Lemon acknowledged the protest’s civil disobedience and attended a planning meeting before it took place during Sunday services.
“I went there to chronicle and document and record,” Lemon told Kimmel. “Ultimately, there is a difference between a protester and a journalist.”
Legal proceedings
A federal magistrate judge had rejected a criminal complaint against Lemon, ruling that the Trump administration lacked probable cause. As a result, sources said this decision angered Bondi.
Later, a federal grand jury indicted Lemon and eight co-defendants in Minnesota. He faces conspiracy charges for violating religious freedom and additional charges for intimidating worshippers.
Lemon’s lawyer confirmed he will plead not guilty. His next court date is February 9 in Minneapolis
