U.S. court says reporter must testify in leak case
Source: Reuters
U.S. court says reporter must testify in leak case
By Lawrence Hurley
WASHINGTON | Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:09pm EDT
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the First Amendment right to free speech does not prevent a New York Times journalist from giving testimony in a high-profile government leak case.
The ruling by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a win for the Obama administration, but it could hurt efforts by Attorney General Eric Holder to improve relations with the media. The Justice Department last week pledged to tighten its criteria for targeting journalists in leak cases.
Two other cases sparked a media outcry earlier this year about whether the Justice Department had been overzealous in investigating government leaks and had infringed on the right of free speech.
Prosecutors sought the testimony of reporter James Risen, author of a book, "State of War," that contained information the government believed was leaked by former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling.
[font size=1]
-snip-[/font]
Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/19/us-usa-courts-leak-idUSBRE96I0Y720130719