Game of Shadow Authors Ordered Reveal Sources in Bonds Case
16th August 2006
On Tuesday in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White ruled that reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada, 41, and Lance Williams, 56, the authors of Game of Shadows must reveal who provided them with secret grand jury testimony of Barry Bonds and other star athletes on steroid use.
Both reporters plan to appeal to the the decision to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and have said they will not reveal their sources even if it means being held in contempt of court.
Judge White based his ruling on the 1972 Supreme Court decision in Branzburg vs. Hayes, as well as subsequent rulings from appellate courts.
As Joe Mozingo of the LA Times reports (Chronicle Reporters Ordered to Reveal Sources in Bonds Case):
The court finds itself bound by the law governing this case to subordinate the [reporters'] interests to the interests of the grand jury,” White wrote.
He noted that the secrecy of grand jury proceedings was critical to the system of justice and outweighed the news media’s need to promise confidentiality to sources possessing vital information.
“We are deeply disappointed with the court’s decision but note that the court acknowledged the important 1st Amendment interests at stake,” said Eve Burton, counsel for Hearst Newspapers, which owns the Chronicle.
“Judge White clearly felt constrained by the court of appeals’ decisions, and that is where we are headed next. We believe we will ultimately prevail, and that is clearly what is in the public’s best interest.”
Phil Bronstein, editor of the Chronicle, said Tuesday, “We will not comply with the government’s effort, which we believe is not in the best interests of an informed public.
“We will pursue all judicial avenues available to us,” he said, according to the newspaper’s website.