Particle.news
Download on the App Store
18 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Don Lemon Adds Ex-Minnesota Federal Prosecutor Joe Thompson to Defense in Church Protest Case

The move sets up a direct challenge to the Justice Department’s rare use of the worship provision of the FACE Act.

Acting US Attorney Joseph H. Thompson speaks during a press conference regarding the Annunciation Church shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 28, 2025.
Journalist Don Lemon speaks to members of the media while exiting federal court in Los Angeles, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Journalist Don Lemon departs federal court in Los Angeles, Cal., on Jan., 30, 2026.
Image

Overview

  • A court filing shows Joseph H. Thompson, a former acting U.S. attorney in Minnesota who left the office last month, has joined Lemon’s team alongside lead counsel Abbe Lowell.
  • Thompson resigned after disputes over the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Renée Good’s killing by an ICE officer, according to multiple outlets and prior reporting.
  • Lemon and eight others were indicted over a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, with counts of conspiracy against the free exercise of religion and violations of the FACE Act.
  • A magistrate judge previously declined to approve an initial complaint before a grand jury issued the indictment; Lemon was arrested in California and released on his own recognizance.
  • An arraignment is set for Friday in St. Paul, and the defense is preparing motions challenging probable cause and the scope of the charges, citing press-freedom concerns.