Don Lemon's lawyers seek grand jury transcripts

Attorneys for former CNN host Don Lemon filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis on Wednesday seeking the release of grand jury transcripts in his federal civil rights case, citing a pattern of misconduct by prosecutors in other recent proceedings.

Lemon pleaded not guilty in February to charges stemming from a protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18. He is among 39 individuals charged in connection with the incident, which disrupted a church service. Lemon maintains he was present as an independent journalist to document the protest and was not a participant. Another journalist, Georgia Fort, faces similar charges.

The motion argues that a growing distrust of the Justice Department's use of the grand jury process justifies the unusual step of releasing the secret transcripts. Lemon's attorneys stated that in the past two weeks alone, several courts have chastised federal prosecutors for irregularities and dismissed indictments due to grand jury misconduct.

The filing points to three specific cases. It cites a May 21 dismissal of charges against activists in Chicago after a judge scrutinized allegations of prosecutorial misconduct before a...