St. Paul city attorney won't file charges against Cities Church protesters
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The St. Paul city attorney says no state charges will be filed against anti-ICE protesters who demonstrated in a St. Paul church earlier this year. The protesters disrupted a Sunday service in January because a church leader there is also a ranking official in a local ICE office.
In a statement sent to MPR News Wednesday, attorney Irene Kao said the decision comes after her office reviewed 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,” Kao wrote. “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 added that the decision to not prosecute the protesters is not an endorsement of public disorder.
“The right to peacefully protest is protected, as is the right to exercise one’s religious beliefs,” she wrote. “Balancing these equally important rights is paramount to our decision today.”
The city attorney's office prosecutes non-felony-level cases. Thirty-eight people still face federal charges. They have all pleaded not guilty.
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