Prof. Jane Kirtley Quoted by Courthouse News About Federal Charges Against Journalist Don Lemon

Prof. Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, was quoted by Courthouse News about the prosecution of independent journalist Don Lemon under the FACE Act, The former CNN anchor pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges Friday — brought in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church in January. The FACE Act prohibits the use of force or threats interfering with someone expressing their First Amendment religious rights. Prof. Kirtley said it will be very difficult for these charges to stick, given that both the journalists and protesters insist there was no conspiracy. She said, “This is about weaponizing federal laws to intimidate journalists, which was never their intended purpose.” She added the FACE Act has never been used in a religious context, or against journalists, but almost exclusively used to protect reproductive health care facilities. She said, “These kinds of direct attacks on the press, utilizing laws that, in my opinion, were never intended to be used against journalists, is really troubling. The constitutionality of these laws is going to be examined by courts that really haven’t had to do that before.”