Cities Church protest: 5 defendants plead not guilty to charges

5 defendants in Cities Church anti-ICE protest appear in court

Five defendants of nearly 40 people charged in an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church appeared in court on Wednesday. All five entered not guilty pleas. FOX 9's Courtney Godrey has more.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Five people accused of interfering with a church service made their first court appearance Wednesday, with each entering a not guilty plea.

Cities Church protest charges

What we know:

All five defendants are charged under a federal law meant to protect access to religious services, with the Justice Department alleging they interfered with people’s right to attend church.

One of the defendants, 36-year-old Shane Bollman, is a photojournalist. Bollman says he was not part of the protest, but was there to photograph the event as a member of the media.

Wednesday’s court appearance was an arraignment for five of nearly 40 people who have been charged by the Justice Department in this case.

Five plead not guilty

The backstory:

All five defendants who appeared in federal court pleaded not guilty. The judge set conditions for the defendants, including an order that none of them can go near Cities Church while the case moves forward.

Bollman’s attorney files motion to release grand jury materials

Why you should care:

Bollman’s attorney filed a motion on Tuesday, March 24, asking for all grand jury materials to be released. The motion claims the grand jury’s decision to indict may have been influenced by statements and actions from President Trump and his administration.

According to the court filing, "Mr. Bollman seeks disclosure of the grand jury transcripts to determine if the grand jury’s probable cause determination was based on the same inaccurate or misleading representations that the government has rendered publicly, which would cast ‘grave doubt’ that the decision to indict was free from the substantial influence of such violations."

What they're saying:

In a statement to Fox 9 Wednesday, Bollman’s attorney Andrew Irlbeck said: "Other parties and other interests have made a lot of statements in the public sphere that taint the judicial process, and we have to take the high road and make our arguments in court."

What's next:

The court will now consider the motion to release grand jury materials as the case continues. A decision is set to be made by March 27.