In August attorneys for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the County of St. Louis and the City of Ferguson signed an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri stating that protesters and the media had the right to record law enforcement officers. But, that agreement was disregarded many times in the last few months so the ACLU went back to court last Friday and filed a motion for a preliminary injunction. Today United States District Judge John A. Ross granted three court orders against the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the County of St. Louis and the City of Ferguson.
“We are pleased that there are court orders requiring the police to respect the First Amendment rights of journalists,” said Tony Rothert, legal director of the ACLU of Missouri. “With court orders in place, immediate recourse will be available if the freedom of the press is violated.”
The signed agreement , amended complaint and other documents related to this lawsuit, Mustafa Hussein v. County of Saint Louis, et. al can be found on the ACLU of Missouri website.