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Codifying journalists' privilege

One piece of hotly debated legislation I did not track this session (but which particularly concerned many of our prosecutor friends), was HB 670 by Martinez-Fischer creating a qualified privilege for journalists not to testify in criminal cases. The bill was signed by the Governor last month and took effect immediately. Here's a summary of the bill from the Freedom of Information Foundation: The law says that any body with authority to issue a subpoena cannot compel a journalist to testify or produce or disclose in an official proceeding any confidential or nonconfidential information, document or item obtained or prepared while acting as a journalist. The source of any information, or document described in the law could not be subpoenaed with some exceptions...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on June 16, 2009 (boomark / email).