Supreme Court clears two political activists who disrupted graduation speech

(Host) The Vermont Supreme Court has cleared two political activists who were charged after interrupting a speech by a Bush administration intelligence official.

The court says the activists were acting within their free speech rights when they protested a 2006 graduation speech by John Negroponte.

Michael Colby was one of the activists and he says he's pleased with the ruling.

(Colby) ``This says very clearly to the prosecutors in St. Johnsbury and the various levels of police that arrested us, federal, state and local, that they need to be careful about trampling upon activists' or citizens' rights to free speech at such events. And that's really all we were doing.''

(Host) The court dismissed disorderly conduct charges against Colby and Boots Wardinski. Both were charged after outbursts at a St. Johnsbury Academy graduation speech by Negroponte. He was the National Intelligence Director at the time.

Colby and Wardinski were upset with Negroponte's record in Iraq and his performance as U-S ambassador to Honduras in the 1980s.