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Compiled by GayToday
 Right-wing Attorney General John Ashcroft |
Houston, Texas-A federal judge has granted the wish of the Bush administration's
Attorney General, John Ashcroft, that a reporter, Vanessa Leggett, be secretly jailed for
refusing to reveal her sources or to turn over to officials her notes, drafts and tapes that are
related to a murder case.
The jailing could denote, some believe, the cancellation of a long-standing Justice
Department non-interference policy that has protected journalists since the Nixon years. |
Ms. Leggett, who teaches writing at the University of Houston, had discussed certain details
of the murder story with the editors of Texas-based magazines.
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Robert Lystad, an attorney who represents the Society of Professional Journalists
told USA Today: "She stands in the same shoes as any television or newspaper reporter…
She's exactly the type of reporter or book author who shouldn't be harassed into turning
over her notes."
Adding an alarming insult to an obvious injury, Ms. Leggett's hearing was conducted in secret
at the Justice Department's request, its sealed transcript unavailable to reporters. Not even the
judge who sentenced her to contempt is to be named in public venues.
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Mike DeGuerin, Ms. Leggett's lawyer, said:
"It's one thing to incarcerate a member of the press for not doing what the government wants.
But to do it in secret and threaten to jail (her) lawyer for talking about the details is outrageous."
Ms. Leggett can be held on the contempt charge for up to 18 months.
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