Overview
- Judge Laura Provinzino ordered Tuesday that the Department of Justice turn over all grand jury materials and set an Aug. 25 deadline for an in‑camera review of introductions, legal instructions, witness testimony and jurors’ questions.
- The review concerns conspiracy charges against about 38 people tied to a Jan. 18 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, including independent journalists such as Don Lemon and Georgia Fort.
- Defendants say prosecutors misstated facts and law to the grand jury and point to reported instances where magistrates denied warrant requests before prosecutors returned to the grand jury.
- Courts rarely probe grand jury minutes because the process is secret and prosecutor‑controlled, so judges call this an extraordinary step that could collapse the case if misconduct is found.
- Legal analysts say the order raises broader questions about Justice Department independence under President Donald Trump and could reshuffle how prosecutors handle sensitive protest and press‑coverage investigations.