Blackwell’s folly | Power Line

Katie Blackwell is assistant chief of operations for the Minneapolis Police Department. She briefly appeared in the film The Fall of Minneapolis (produced by Liz Collin). Based on her appearance in the film and in the related book by Liz, Blackwell brought an ill-advised defamation lawsuit against Liz and Alpha News (I’m a member of the board).

I reported on the defendants’ motion to dismiss Blackwell’s lawsuit in “Alpha News goes to court.” I followed up in the posts “O’Hara’s law” and “Open letter to a spineless weasel.”

Blackwell testified for the state in the prosecution of Derek Chauvin for murder in the case arising from George Floyd’s death. The book and film impugn the accuracy of Blackwell’s testimony at the Chauvin murder trial. In her testimony Blackwell asserted that the knee-on-neck restraint Chauvin used on Floyd was not trained by the department. The documentary is accessible for free at the link above. The testimony in issue appears in the video at 1:00:03-1:00:32.

Minneapolis attorney Chris Madel represents the defendants Blackwell has sued. He is a fierce advocate. We assert every applicable defense including truth and the First Amendment. Sources and references for the film are here. Chris also introduced the declarations of 34 Minneapolis police offers specifically refuting Blackwell’s testimony regarding the knee-on-neck restraint.

Earlier this year Hennepin County District Judge Edward Wahl heard three hours of argument on defendants’ motion to dismiss Blackwell’s case as a matter of law under the framework established by Minnesota’s newly enacted Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), Minn. Stat. §§ 554.07 et seq. Under § 554.08, the statute provides a procedure to secure expedited relief against claims premised on the “exercise of the right of freedom of speech or of the press…” UPEPA inarguably applies to this case.

Alpha News editor Anthony Gockowski reported on the hearing in “Judge hears motion to dismiss defamation lawsuit against Alpha News, Liz Collin.” Subhead: “Alpha News attorney Chris Madel repeatedly argued that MPD Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell’s attorneys responded to the motion by presenting ‘nothing.’” As Bob Dylan might put it, too much of nothing warrants dismissal of the case. Anthony’s story included the video below of Chris meeting the press with Liz after the hearing.

Alpha News and @lizcollin attorney Chris Madel after today’s court hearing: ‘Katie Blackwell didn’t even show up to court today. That should show you exactly who Katie Blackwell is and how strong she thinks her case is.’ pic.twitter.com/rqVARqC4jS

— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) February 7, 2025

Judge Edward Wahl has now granted defendants’ motion to dismiss the case. I have embedded his excellent 58-page order below. Blackwell has a right of appeal. At the moment, I will only say that Chris Madel is an outstanding attorney, Judge Wahl’s dismissal order is a righteous decision, and this is a good day for independent journalism in Minnesota.

I asked Liz Collin for a comment. Liz writes: “My reporting has always been about getting the facts and speaking the truth. And I think the dismissal of this case says a lot about what I’ve been saying for quite some time about how the media and so-called leaders have handled the arrest and death of George Floyd: they’re lying.”

I also asked Chris Madel for a comment. Chris writes: “I’m just so gratified that this most-recent example of lawfare fell flat on its face. Before Blackwell filed the lawsuit, I told her attorneys about the new UPEPA law, and I told them she was going to be responsible for attorneys’ fees. They should’ve listened. “Judge Wahl is among the most thorough, intelligent, and hard-working judges I’ve encountered in my career.”

Blackwell v. Collin (24-15500) FINAL ORDER by Scott Johnson on Scribd