ACLU settles suit in Santorum book-signing case

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Philadelphia Daily News/AP

The American Civil Liberties Union has settled a federal lawsuit stemming from an incident during which a Delaware state trooper ejected protesters from a book-signing event with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.).
Under the settlement, the Delaware State Police will adopt a policy and training program for its officers on the free speech rights of protesters and pay $15,000 for the plaintiffs' legal fees, the ACLU said Wednesday.

In addition, Sgt. Mark DiJiacomo will write a letter to the plaintiffs. Former Santorum aides Ellen Melrose and Becky Barrett-Toomey also will send the plaintiffs a letter of regret and pay them $2,500, the amount they were paid by Santorum's campaign to assist him on a book tour in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The plaintiffs intend to donate their damage awards to charity, the ACLU said.

According to the lawsuit, Melrose and Barrett-Toomey told DiJiacomo to remove four young women in advance of Santorum's arrival at a Barnes & Noble store on Concord Pike in August 2005 because the women did not agree with the Pennsylvania Republican's views outlined in his book, It Takes a Family.





Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070629_ACLU_settles_suit_in__Santorum_book-signing_case.html

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:rofl: Just wish it was coming out of Ricky's pocket!

[sonias]

1. Yes I do wish it was coming out of Santorum's pocket

But either way, these cops have got to be better trained on 1st amendment rights. Cities and states do a lousy job at training police officers to understand what free speech rights are.

Good for the ACLU - you gotta love'em.
:applause:

Sonia

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Santorum keeps that much in his wallet for "carrying around" money

$17,500? Petty cash to someone like Santorum.

[MissWaverly]

3. This is the only way it stops

[ShockediSay]

4. Fascist tactics nt

[Toots]

5. It sounds to me like santorum won the suit

His aides were awarded $2500. each while ACLU seems to have lost their suit and they settled. Not sure whom they were representing though. Must have been the police because they are the one's to pay..

[EFerrari]

6. The former aides have to pay the plaintiffs. The writing in this story

is really muddy.