Former presenter arrested on suspicion of conspiracy

Dona Lemon, who worked for CNN, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to restrict civil rights and violation of the FACE Act, which concerns obstruction of access to religious facilities.

Lemon was broadcasting live from a demonstration earlier this month that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, where people were protesting President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration in the area.

Lemon's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, called his arrest an "unprecedented attack" that violates the Constitution. The arrested man explained that he was at the demonstration as a journalist. He said he did not know that the activists would disrupt the service. Footage shows him arguing with a parishioner about the enforcement of immigration regulations.

The judge initially refused to issue an arrest warrant, arguing that neither Lemon nor his producer had committed a crime. However, the Justice Department, which has not yet commented on the case since the arrest, proceeded further, and the FBI later detained Lemon in Los Angeles, where he is staying in connection with the Grammy Awards.

Judge Patrick Schiltz criticized the move as unjustified, noting that Lemon "was not a protester at all."

(reuters, max)