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Journalist Georgia Fort Pleads Not Guilty in Minnesota ICE Pastor Church Arrest
Georgia Fort denies federal charges after a January protest at St. Paul's Cities Church; prosecutors cite civil rights violations, while Fort claims First Amendment protection.
- On February 17, 2026, Twin Cities journalist Georgia Fort pleaded not guilty in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota and was greeted by supporters outside the courthouse.
- The protest at Cities Church on Jan. 18 began after worshippers learned an ICE official was a pastor, and prosecutors have indicted nine defendants linked to the demonstration.
- After her two-minute arraignment on Tuesday, Fort said her First Amendment rights are being violated, and she and Don Lemon argue their actions are protected as journalists.
- Federal prosecutors asked the court to designate the matter a "complex case," which defense attorneys, including Matt Ebert, plan to oppose, arguing the case is not complex.
- The indictment includes civil-rights counts alleging interference with religious freedom; Don Lemon, journalist, Nekima Levy Armstrong, civil rights attorney, and activist Trahern Crews also pleaded not guilty on Friday.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Supporters rally as Georgia Fort pleads not guilty to federal charges
Supporters of independent journalist Georgia Fort gathered outside the federal courthouse in St. Paul, Tuesday afternoon, calling for federal prosecutors to drop charges they say threaten press freedom. Fort pleaded not guilty earlier in the day to federal felony charges connected to a January protest inside Cities Church in St. Paul. She is among nine […] The post Supporters rally as Georgia Fort pleads not guilty to federal charges appeared fi…
Duluth News Tribune
Journalist, activist plead not guilty in St. Paul church protest
ST. PAUL — Independent Twin Cities journalist Georgia Fort walked into the federal courthouse in St. Paul on Tuesday to people shouting outside, “Drop the charges, support free speech!” She and St. Paul activist Trahern Crews each pleaded not guilty Tuesday, Feb. 17, to federal charges filed against them in connection to a protest at a St. Paul church. The other seven people indicted in the case have also entered pleas of not guilty, including D…
Journalist Georgia Fort pleads not guilty to felony charges stemming from church protest
Independent journalist Georgia Fort pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to federal felony charges stemming from a protest that she filmed in January inside a St. Paul church where a pastor is also an official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Fort was charged along with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, his producer Jerome Richardson, civil […]
Journalist, activist plead not guilty to federal charges tied to St. Paul church protest
Twin Cities independent journalist Georgia Fort and Trahern Crews, one of the founders of Minnesota’s Black Lives Matter chapter, pleaded not guilty to their federal charges over an anti-ICE church protest in St. Paul last month.
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