New York Times Reporter Ordered to Testify in Trial of Alleged Source

[octoberlib]

A federal appeals court has ordered a New York Times correspondent to testify in the criminal trial of an ex-CIA officer accused of being his source. Prosecutors believe Jeffrey Sterling gave The New York Times’ James Risen information on the CIA’s role in disrupting Iran’s nuclear program. A federal judge previously threw out a similar subpoena leveled at Risen, but the Obama administration appealed. In a divided two-to-one opinion, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Friday that Risen must testify because the First Amendment does not protect reporters who receive unauthorized leaks from testifying against their sources. In a dissent, Judge Roger Gregory said: "The majority exalts the interests of the government while unduly trampling those of the press, and in doing so, severely impinges on the press and the free flow of information in our society." Risen has vowed to go to prison rather than testify and to bring his appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.

http://www.democracynow.org/2013/7/22/headlines#72213