A blatant attack on press freedom
Yeah, that reporter, who was in jail for 85 days in 2005 for not revealing a source was summoned to testify today.
Keep in mind, she was in jail not for publishing something she wrote, but for knowing something she wasn't supposed to.
It's not like she, former NY Times reporter Judith Miller, is very liked at all, but regardles of who the reporter is: This should not be happening. It is an unreasonable act of intimidation.
Now, she is being forced to testify against her confidential source: I. Lewis Libby Jr., chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Libby, for those who have no idea, is on trial for obstruction and perjury.
But defense lawyers went too far today. They questioned her note-taking methods, and criticized her inability to take notes when her pen was malfunctioning. This mistake, I am sure they understood far too well in their drunken law school days.
For God's sake, the woman has admitted to using different color pens. (Who does that?)
To further embarass her, the NY Times reported that the DA played a videotape where she said , “It’s really easy to forget a story, the details of a story.”
Seriously, this is just beyond absurdity.
A reporter should n't be asked to testify about interviews with confidential sources in a criminal trial. This is a direct attack on the priviledges of the Fourth Estate. Has the judicial system forgotten that a reporter is a public servant, who plays a role in the checks and balances of this Democracy and the health of any form of government?
Of course they have. They are too busy crucifying this woman for not being a walking tape recorder.
I wonder if the judge involved in this proceeding considered the protection of Human Rights 18 and 19 when allowing the DA and prosecutors to harass a reporter.
No, I am sure justice in his courtroom was more important. May be he did not take the time to think about this throughly... he must have been too busy discussing operation Iraqi Freedom with his buddies.
HUMAN RIGHT #19
HUMAN RIGHT # 18
Yeah, that reporter, who was in jail for 85 days in 2005 for not revealing a source was summoned to testify today.
Keep in mind, she was in jail not for publishing something she wrote, but for knowing something she wasn't supposed to.
It's not like she, former NY Times reporter Judith Miller, is very liked at all, but regardles of who the reporter is: This should not be happening. It is an unreasonable act of intimidation.
Now, she is being forced to testify against her confidential source: I. Lewis Libby Jr., chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Libby, for those who have no idea, is on trial for obstruction and perjury.
But defense lawyers went too far today. They questioned her note-taking methods, and criticized her inability to take notes when her pen was malfunctioning. This mistake, I am sure they understood far too well in their drunken law school days.
For God's sake, the woman has admitted to using different color pens. (Who does that?)
To further embarass her, the NY Times reported that the DA played a videotape where she said , “It’s really easy to forget a story, the details of a story.”
Seriously, this is just beyond absurdity.
A reporter should n't be asked to testify about interviews with confidential sources in a criminal trial. This is a direct attack on the priviledges of the Fourth Estate. Has the judicial system forgotten that a reporter is a public servant, who plays a role in the checks and balances of this Democracy and the health of any form of government?
Of course they have. They are too busy crucifying this woman for not being a walking tape recorder.
I wonder if the judge involved in this proceeding considered the protection of Human Rights 18 and 19 when allowing the DA and prosecutors to harass a reporter.
No, I am sure justice in his courtroom was more important. May be he did not take the time to think about this throughly... he must have been too busy discussing operation Iraqi Freedom with his buddies.
HUMAN RIGHT #19
HUMAN RIGHT # 18
