The St. Paul City Attorney’s Office has declined to bring state criminal charges against demonstrators who disrupted a January 18th service at Cities Church, during the height of Operation Metro Surge.
"They cannot pretend to be a house of God, harboring someone who's directing ICE agents to wreak havoc upon our community," said local activist, and Twin Cities civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong who was speaking at the church in January.
It's there where Armstrong and others, including another local journalist Georgia Fort, and former CNN now independent journalist Don Lemon, were when protests against the pastor interrupted a service.
While there are still federal charges pending, there will not be any state charges, according to St. Paul's City Attorney Irene Kao.
She said in a statement there was insufficient evidence to establish probable cause, and to go forward in the case after they conducted a thorough review of the evidence submitted by law enforcement.
“Our office has a legal and ethical obligation to file charges only when the available evidence establishes probable cause and supports a reasonable likelihood of conviction beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said in a statement Tuesday. “Following a careful evaluation of the video footage, investigative reports, and other available materials, prosecutors determined that the current evidence is insufficient to meet that standard for criminal charges under Minnesota state statutes.”
Kao did say that their decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of unlawful behavior or public disorder, adding that the right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one's religious beliefs.
Federal criminal cases are ongoing against 38 people, including Armstrong, Lemon, Fort, St. Paul School Board Member Chauntyll Allen and others.
All have pleaded not guilty.
Federal charges are still ongoing for the
Federal charges are still ongoing for the
