Reporters refuse to reveal BALCO leak get prison

[BAMAPHIN 22]

Two San Francisco Chronicle reporters were ordered jailed Thursday for a maximum 18 months, pending an appeal, for refusing to testify about who leaked them secret grand jury testimony from Barry Bonds and other elite athletes.

Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada published a series of articles and a book based partly on the leaked transcripts of the testimony of Bonds, Jason Giambi and others before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, a Burlingame-based nutritional supplement company exposed as a steroid ring two years ago.

Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White to send the reporters to prison for the full term of the grand jury investigating the leak, or until they agree to testify.

Williams and Fainaru-Wada have said repeatedly they would go to jail rather than comply with the grand jury’s subpoena and reveal their source or sources.

http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/
Both sides agreed to stay the ruling by White pending an appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The reporters agreed with the government that they are in contempt of court, but had sought a “nominal monetary fine'’ and other punishment “short of full blown incarceration,'’ including house arrest and weekend jailing, according to court documents.

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/09/21/reporters-who-refused-to-reveal-balco-leak-get-prison/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnickperez.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D57&frame=true

 

[Alex44]

Protecting their sources

Mike Wilbon from PTI said he would also go to jail rather than reveal his source, just the way writing is

 

[Blade]

Yea, if i was a writier and someone leaked me valueable infomation, i would protect them. If u give up your sources, you will never get any infomation in the future. The writiers are doin what they have to do IMO.

 

[CharlestonPhan]

i think incareceration for these two is a bt much, they pose a threat to absolutely no one... fine them, thats fine, but when you think of the violent thugs who often get house arrest, this is silly.

 

[Roman529]

I think one of Barry Bond's trainers/suppliers already has gone to jail for not testifying.

SCREW THAT!!!! I would roll on Barry without giving it a 2nd thought. Why protect Mr. Ego? Barry should be the one in jail, not reporters.

 

[MikeO]

George W Bush loves these 2 guys and the work they have done.

After all of the appeals and such,. by the time they are about to start serving Jail time, Bush will be leaving office. And Bush will pardon both reporters.

HEAR ME NOW.........BELIEVE ME LATER!! That is how it will go down

 

[LightsOut]

screw the reporters. they used leaked grand jury testimony to write a book for profit. let them rot.

 

[Mike13]

Thats a bit extreme if you ask me.

 

[FinsNYanksFan13]

I don't know why every one is making a big deal about this. Any one who has taken a journalism class before knows that them giving up their sources will disgrace them in the journalism profession forever. These guys don't have a choice but to not cooperate by not giving up their sources because if they do they will never get another job in the business again and every journalist will stick their noses up at them for betraying the profession. So at the end of the day, even if these guys are willing to give up their sources and don't want to go to jail they won't. At least not if they still want to be apart of the journalism business!

 

[djfresh47]

I don't know why every one is making a big deal about this. Any one who has taken a journalism class before knows that them giving up their sources will disgrace them in the journalism profession forever. These guys don't have a choice but to not cooperate by not giving up their sources because if they do they will never get another job in the business again and every journalist will stick their noses up at them for betraying the profession. So at the end of the day, even if these guys are willing to give up their sources and don't want to go to jail they won't. At least not if they still want to be apart of the journalism business!

Although if we don't know the sources it hurts the credibility of their book.