Journalist Pleads Not Guilty in St. Paul Case
An independent journalist has pleaded "not guilty" to civil rights charges related to their coverage of a protest at a church in St. Paul. The specific allegations against the journalist have not been publicly disclosed as the case proceeds.
- The freelance journalist is Georgia Fort, who, along with former CNN host Don Lemon, was documenting a protest on January 18, 2026. - The protest occurred at Cities Church in St. Paul, targeting one of its pastors, David Easterwood, who is also the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul. - Fort, Lemon, and seven others have been charged with conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which protects houses of worship. - The demonstration was organized to protest ICE's presence in the community and to demand justice for Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. - Nine individuals in total face charges, including prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. - First Amendment advocates and various media organizations have condemned the arrests of the journalists, arguing they were present to cover the event as members of the press. - U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi referred to the incident as a "coordinated attack," while a legal representative for Cities Church stated that the First Amendment does not provide a "press pass' to trespass on church property." - Initially, a federal magistrate judge declined to sign arrest warrants for the journalists, citing a lack of probable cause, before the government proceeded with a grand jury indictment.
