Fergie's Tech Blog

States Side with SF Chronicle Reporters on Protecting Sources

An AP newswire article, via SFGate.com, reports that:

Two dozen states filed a brief on behalf of two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, telling a federal appeals court that public interest demands the recognition of a journalist's right to protect confidential sources.

In papers filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, the states, led by New York, challenged a federal judge's order to imprison the reporters who refused to testify about who leaked them secret grand jury testimony of Barry Bonds and other athletes.

Most all of the two dozen states have some type of media shield law. They urged the court to adopt a reporter's privilege in federal court, where one does not exist.

posted by Fergie @ 12/11/2006 07:51:00 PM