Settlement prohibits Minnesota State Patrol from attacking or arresting journalists

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A federal judge has approved a permanent injunction prohibiting the Minnesota State Patrol from arresting or attacking journalists, which occurred when reporters documented the unrest following the police killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

The injunction stems from a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota in 2020. The State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety agreed to settle the case Tuesday. The court will monitor compliance with the injunction for the next six years, according to an order signed by U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright.

“We firmly believe in First Amendment rights and the role of a free press in protecting society and upholding ­­­­­­­our democracy,” Pari McGarraugh, an attorney with the Fredrikson & Byron law firm that represented the ACLU, said in a statement. “Providing impartial information to the public about demonstrations, protests and other conflicts between law enforcement and the public is at the heart of journalism, and the right to witness and report must be protected and upheld.”

The State Patrol also is prohibited by the court order from ordering journalists to stop photographing, recording or observing a protest, making journalists disperse, or seizing or intentionally damaging photo, audio or video gear.

David Eisemann

Article URL : https://www.startribune.com/settlement-prohibits-minnesota-state-patrol-from-attacking-or-arresting-journalists/600144577/