Ohio Journalist Lucas Griffith Convicted for Coverage of ICE Protest

October 03, 2025 – USA – 

A jury in Kentucky has found Ohio journalist Lucas Griffith guilty of “failure to disperse” following his arrest while reporting on a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.

At the time of his arrest, Griffith was working as an intern with the Ohio weekly CityBeat. He and a colleague, Madeline Fening, had crossed into Kentucky to document a protest on the Roebling Bridge. The pair was initially charged with multiple offenses, including disorderly conduct, obstructing a highway, and failure to disperse. Both were also charged with a felony rioting charge, which was later dropped.

The conviction came from a six-person jury, which imposed a $50 fine on Griffith. CPJ criticized the verdict, calling it “outrageous” that a journalist would be prosecuted for doing his job. Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ’s regional program coordinator, said the prosecution sends a chilling message about First Amendment protections for reporters.

Fening’s trial is pending and has been postponed until January 2026. Meanwhile, local authorities have not publicly explained why they pursued the case against Griffith after the serious felony allegation was dropped.

Advocates and press freedom groups have called the case an alarming precedent. Many argue that reporting on protests is essential public interest work and should not be punished under laws typically aimed at controlling unrest, not journalism. In addition, the case raises broader concerns about the use of local legal systems to constrain media coverage in contentious or politically charged settings.

While the fine is relatively small, the symbolic weight of convicting a journalist for coverage is significant. Journalistic organizations insist that protecting the right to report—even in the face of disorder—is fundamental to democracy and should not be undermined by legal retaliation.

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Ohio journalist convicted after arrest while covering Kentucky protest