ROCK T-SHIRT STRIKES BLOW FOR FREEDOM

It was bound to happen. The Insane Clown Posse and the First Amendment are being mentioned in the same sentence.

Ohio teenager Daniel Shellhammer, age 14, received a letter of apology and an out-of-court cash settlement after suing his local police for confiscating his ICP T-shirt.

Shellhammer, whose name itself suggests a teen metal band, took legal action after officers made him fork over the shirt, which featured an image of Santa Claus with a bullet hole in his head and the words "Merry Fucking Xmas Bitch." Shellhammer claims police told him the group's merchandise was banned in the state.

Shellhammer's lawyer, Andrew Gottlieb, said the teen sued because he believed his First Amendment rights had been violated. "It was the content of the shirt as opposed to any conduct by Daniel," Gottlieb said. "That's an important distinction to make—especially since Daniel never does anything, as his parents will attest."

Meanwhile, the members of GWAR remain Amnesty International's "Prisoner of Conscience" this month.