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Published: Friday, 3/6/2015 SETTLEMENT OF LAWSUIT

BY JENNIFER FEEHAN BLADE STAFF WRITER

In what was seen as a victory for First Amendment rights, the U.S. government agreed Thursday to pay The Blade $18,000 for seizing the cameras of a photographer and deleting photographs taken outside the Lima tank plant last year.

In turn, The Blade agreed to dismiss the lawsuit it filed April 4 in U.S. District Court on behalf of photographer Jetta Fraser and reporter Tyrel Linkhorn against Charles T. Hagel, then the U.S. Secretary of Defense; Lt. Col. Matthew Hodge, commandant of the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, and the military police officers involved in the March 28, 2014, incident.

Fritz Byers, attorney for The Blade, said the settlement was made under the First Amendment Privacy Protection Act, which prohibits the government, in connection with the investigation of a criminal offense, from searching or seizing any work product materials possessed by a journalist.

The harassment and detention of The Blades reporter and photographer, the confiscation of their equipment, and the brazen destruction of lawful photographs cannot be justified by a claim of military authority or by the supposed imperatives of the national security state, Mr. Byers said.

The Blade is pleased with this resolution of the crucial First Amendment issues at stake in this matter, Mr. Byers said.

John Robinson Block, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Blade, said he was "very happy it's resolved," but wished the government would admit wrongdoing.

"We appear to know more about the U.S. Constitution than responsible federal defense officials. I wish they could admit in this instance, in any instance, that they were wrong and violated our rights."

Blade officials said $5,000 of the settlement would be donated to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Based in Arlington, Va., the committee works to protect journalists free speech rights as well as access to public records, meetings, and courtrooms.

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Blade, U.S. government settle suit

Synopsis | The First Amendment In Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Synopsis | Speech, Conduct, And The First Amendment By Howard Schweber
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First Amendment Bill of Rights

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First Amendment Bill of Rights - Video

Academy Award-winning rapper anchors First Amendment Week at LMU

By Emily Barnett

In a TED Talk-esque motivational speech, Common encouraged LMU students to be exceptional Photo by Corey Hambly 18 / LMU Photo

Hip-hop artist and actor Common took to the mic last Tuesday at Loyola Marymount University as keynote speaker for the schools First Amendment Week, an annual celebration of our constitutional rights to free expression.

Just two days earlier he was in front of a very different crowd at the Oscars, where he and John Legend (a prior LMU First Amendment Day speaker) performed their song Glory, which was written for the film Selma and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

With more than 700 students and community members on their feet, Common (born Lonnie Rashid Lynn in 1972) approached the stage with a warranted swagger.

Peace, everybody, he said with a grin, getting the crowd going with a freestyle rap before launching into a TED Talk-esque motivational speech on greatness.

In the Common dictionary, he said with an over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek confidence, greatness is using your potential and your gifts to the highest level to inspire others to reach that greatness.

Previous First Amendment Week speakers have included James Carville, Ann Coulter, Arianna Huffington, Bill Maher, Karl Rove and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

While Commons connection to the topic of free expression is obvious, its also not so obvious. He plays a lesser-known role as founder of the Common Ground Foundation, a nonprofit that employs the arts as a tool to empower underprivileged youth and expose them to new educational, leadership and creative opportunities.

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Common Greatness