• TipRing@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Just to be clear. He is still being charged, they arraignment judge just set the bail to $0. .

      • TipRing@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        They are charging him under two laws and well outside the intent of both. The first is what is informally called the Klan Act, a law enacted to protect black churches during reconstruction when they were targeted by the KKK. The second is called the FACE act, a law from the 90s that was intended to protect abortion clinics but in a compromise with conservatives protects churches as well - notably this law requires violence to have been inflicted so I have no idea how they justify using it, the original magistrate judge crossed it out on the warrants for the 3 protesters he agreed to charge.

        This is all transparently vindictive prosecution of journalists who are unfriendly towards the administration. The protesters themselves should only be charged with trespassing or disturbing the peace at most, but the DoJ is entirely compromised into a weapon against the American people.

      • jandro@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        From the linked article:

        The justice department charged Lemon and three others with civil rights crimes, saying they interfered with the exercise of religious freedom at a place of worship and conspired to do so.