This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A school in Arizona abruptly has done a 180, deciding now that handing out copies of the U.S. Constitution actually is all right.

A report from Liberty Justice Center said the state has dropped all claims against former Arizona State student Tim Tizon.

He was arrested and convicted of trespassing earlier for handing out copies of the Constitution to other students at the Tempe campus in March 2022.

He was representing the campus Young Americans for Liberty student group at the time.

He was convicted in the University Lakes Justice Court and ordered to pay a fine and perform community service.

However, the Liberty Justice Center joined his case, filing an appeal on his behalf.

"Rather than defend the obvious violation of Tizon’s First Amendment rights, the state filed a court motion announcing that it would drop the charges, vacating Tizon’s conviction and sentence," the organization confirmed.

"Free speech is the cornerstone of American values," said Tizon, in a statement released by his lawyers. "It is refreshing to see that the Arizona justice system finally recognizes this after more than a year of wrongful prosecution."

JP Kirby, a spokesman for YAL, said, "Arizona State has used its speech and assembly restrictions to harass activists such as Tim for years. ASU officials showed how much more the school values its own bureaucratic processes than the freedom of its students. I'm glad to see the state acknowledge that Tim's rights outweigh the school's desire to prosecute a student trying to share the Constitution with his classmates."