Don Lemon seeks dismissal of criminal civil rights charges, claiming vindictive prosecution(CBS NEWS) – CBS News reports that former CNN anchor Don Lemon asked a federal judge in Minnesota to dismiss criminal civil rights charges against him on Friday, saying he is being unlawfully targeted for vindictive prosecution. They argued that the Justice Department charged Lemon “as punishment for his First Amendment-protected reporting on protests related to Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.” Initially, the Justice Department tried to charge Lemon by criminal complaint, but a magistrate judge rejected the effort, citing a lack of probable cause. The Justice Department then took the extraordinary step of asking first the chief judge, and then the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the motions.