Abrams represented New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who spent 85 days in jail after being held in contempt for refusing to divulge a source in an investigation of leaks about an undercover CIA agent. It’s not clear when the judge might rule on Chen’s request to hold Herridge in contempt. “The First Amendment interest in protecting journalists’ sources is at its highest in cases, like this, involving reporting on national security,” Philbin wrote in court papers. That settlement resulted in a contempt order being vacated against a journalist who was being asked to name her sources. Courts have recognized that journalists have a limited privilege to keep confidential their sources, allowing reporters to block subpoenas in the past.

Source: Fox News November 14, 2023 17:08 UTC