freediver wrote Yesterday at 11:40am:
The media articles I am reading (quoting people defending him) go on about the US constitution protecting the rights of journalists, but as far as I can tell journalists get no special privileges that ordinary citizens don't. At least, none that are relevant to his case. You can't wave your phone around while breaking the law and say it's OK, I'm just here to report on me and my friends breaking the law.
Essentially, he filmed himself breaking the law

What Don Lemon Has Been Charged With
According to federal and media reports:
1. Conspiracy Against Rights
• Lemon is charged under a federal civil rights statute (often cited as 18 U.S.C. § 241), which makes it a crime to conspire to deprive others of their constitutional rights.
2. Violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act
• He’s also charged under the FACE Act (18 U.S.C. § 248) — a federal law originally aimed at preventing obstruction, force, intimidation or interference with a person’s right to access reproductive-health facilities or places of religious worship. In this case, prosecutors allege he helped obstruct access to a church service during a protest in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Lemon has pleaded not guilty and maintains he was there as a journalist covering the event, not as a participant in the protest.
⚖️ Potential Jail Time / Penalties
The laws involved carry different possible penalties if someone is convicted:
📍 Conspiracy Against Rights (18 U.S.C. § 241)
• This is a serious federal civil-rights statute. Depending on how prosecutors charge it, it can carry up to 10 years in prison — and potentially longer if serious harm, injury, or aggravated factors are alleged.
📍 FACE Act Violation (18 U.S.C. § 248)
• For a first offense involving obstruction or interference (without violence), the FACE Act typically carries up to 1 year in federal prison, plus fines.
Summary of Possible Penalties
Up to ~10 years for conspiracy against civil rights
Up to ~1 year for a basic FACE Act violation
Exact penalties will depend on how prosecutors frame the counts and how a judge or jury rules at trial
🧠 What’s Next in the Case
• Lemon has been released on his own recognizance after a court appearance in Los Angeles.
• He plans to fight the charges and assert that his actions were protected by the First Amendment.
If you’d like, I can provide a brief explanation of what the FACE Act and the Conspiracy Against Rights law are and how they’re typically applied in U.S. courts.