NAZARETH, Pa. (AP) - A Northampton County town has settled a federal lawsuit with three men who allege the town's police department violated their free speech rights after they protested law enforcement practices.

The Morning Call reports (http://bit.ly/2la4veX ) that Nazareth will pay Trevor Gehret, Daniel Logothetis and Jeremy Peters a combined $39,000 in a settlement reached on Tuesday. The trio was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and other offenses after canvassing Nazareth with stickers calling for police Chief Thomas Trachta to be fired.The charges were later dropped.The group said Trachta retaliated by exaggerating the cost of removing of the stickers and bringing bogus charges against them.An agreement to toss the claims against Trachta and others was reached. The department will change policies to protect free speech rights under the settlement.---Information from: The Morning Call,

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