Since you don't like that source...

Is ABC news good enough? It is a Left leaning news site of course.




http://www.abc2news.com/d...nt-offered-to-protestors

BEL AIR, Md. (WMAR) - The Maryland Board of Public Works announced today that it will grant a $385,000 settlement with nine people who were illegally arrested and jailed in 2008 for displaying large pictures of aborted babies along Route 24 in Bel Air.

The settlement still has to be approved by the individual plaintiffs.

The settlement by the Maryland State Police (MSP) results from an annual week-long event held every year since 2001 by DEFEND LIFE, a pro-life organization, where activists exercise their First Amendment rights to free speech.

While 18 of the protesters were arrested, only 9 filed suit. Those arrested were 5 college students, a businessman and an engineer.

There are two main focuses of the settlement. MSP cannot restrict speech, including images of aborted human babies, based on reactions of viewers or motorists to that speech.

The second is that MSP must implement a training program to train employees on First and Fourth Amendment rights in a manner that is consistent with the District Court's opinion. This program must also be reviewed by the plaintiff's counsel before implementation.

In 2008, participants were told by MSP that unless they vacated the premises, they would be arrested. So the activists moved north to Bel Air, thinking that Bel Air police would be in charge of the area, not MSP.

Within minutes, 18 were arrested by the Maryland State Police, 16 were jailed overnight.

The rights of the demonstrators were violated in various ways including, no reason given for arrests, phone calls were denied, a lawyer was denied access and teenage girls were 'bra-searched'.