Journalists with Cincinnati's CityBeat news outlet Madeline Fening and Lucas Griffith were taken into custody as Covington police confronted protesters demonstrating against the detention of a man by immigration officers. Both reporters were charged with multiple misdemeanors and felony rioting.
That more serious charge was dismissed with prejudice by the Commonwealth Attorney Wednesday — meaning the charges cannot be re-filed.
The remaining misdemeanor charges will be taken up in a pre-trial conference next month.
Covington police had claimed the journalists were among the individuals who did not heed an order to disperse. They also said Fening lacked credentials.
ACLU attorney William Sharp, who is representing the reporters, said his clients were "doing their jobs and should never have been arrested in the first place." He said the organization intends to "zealously" defend the journalists against the remainder of the charges.