COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has announced that criminal charges against NewsNation reporter Evan Lambert have been dismissed. The charges were related to an incident in which Lambert was arrested at a press conference called by the governor of the state.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section was appointed by the Columbiana County Prosecuting Attorney to handle the charges filed in Columbiana County Municipal Court. After reviewing the relevant video and documentary evidence, the charges against Lambert were dismissed as unsupported by sufficient evidence.
In a statement, Yost said, “While journalists could conceivably be subject to criminal charges for trespassing in some situations, this incident is not one of them. The reporter was lawfully present at a press conference called by the Governor of the state. His conduct was consistent with the purpose of the event and his role as a reporter.”
Yost also noted that tensions were high in the days following a derailment, and local officials may have been following the lead of the National Guard. However, he emphasized that arresting a journalist reporting at a press conference is a serious matter and that state officials should exercise a heightened level of restraint in using arrest powers.
Lambert was charged with resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor, and criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.