Would Judith Miller be in prison if she were not a reporter?

[BurtWorm]

Would a person who had information about a crime and who was not a reporter be in danger of being sent to prison for not cooperating with a grand jury investigation? If not, then the people concerned about her "first amendment rights" being violated may have a point. But if anyone but a reporter would be headed to prison for withholding the same info Miller is withholding, then the "first amendment" defenders here need to ask themselves, where does it make a distinction in the constitution between reporters and the rest of us?

[Sanity Claws]

1. Attorneys could not hide behind privilege

under those circumstances. A priest might though.

[Walt Starr]

3. A priest would go to prison, too

One does not get a pass on testifying when one is a witness to a crime's commission due to one's profession.

[BurtWorm]

5. I don't think even psychiatrists would be able to hide evidence of a crime

Their ethical requirement to protect their client's privacy is not in the constitution. Ethics and law are not the same.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Would she be going to jail in 90% of the rest of the world.... or is this

just because we love freedom and frigging democracy so GD much in this beacon to the world???? Makes one wonder.

[Walt Starr]

4. Legal systems are not the same the world over

How many indict via grand juries, for instance?

[Rex]

6. Why do reporters get special privileges?

It should be every American citizens constitutional duty to report 'clear and present' danger to our national security. People love wrapping themselves in the constitution yet seldom care to follow the Law of the Land. Treason is treason is treason.

I wish someone would stick Novakula in a state prison for a few years.

[H2O Man]

7. Here's the simple answer:

The leaker has already given Judith permission to testify. He did not make a personal call to her today, as was the case with Mr. Cooper. However, he signed a blanket release.

For this reason, as noted by Nora O'Donnell, the judge let Miller know he did not accept her stance that she was protecting a source. He implied she is protecting something else.

Also, Fitzgerald is considering criminal contempt charges against Judith. She could face years in prison.

[Generator]

11. So what do you think?

Do you think she's protecting her source? And why? Not journalist's rights but her pact with the devil aka the neo-con cabal?

Or protecting herself, ie, she's the leaker. Or protecting more more more..oh how high we can go? Of course, even if she's the leaker..somebody higher up OF COURSE gave her the go ahead.

[H2O Man]

13. Good question.

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would bet heavily that Judith is covering for activities that occured between 3-8-03, and the day that Wilson's article was published -- two years ago.

Keep in mind that on March 8, '03, the State Department admitted on CNN that, "We fell for it." This was in regard to the Niger documents, which the IAEA had announced were forgeries the day before. Wilson went on CNN on the 8th, and said that State had "more information."

Hours after that, there was the infamous meeting in VP Cheney's office, to start the work-up on Wilson, in case they needed to discredit or destroy him.

In the time between then and early July, Wilson attempted to get the White House to correct their errors on WMD. He spoke to senior officials at State, and the staffs of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. He also spoke off the record to reporters.

The neocon "cell" that was the moving force in the 3-8 meeting had by this time found out about Plame. The information about her was being shared in administration circles, among neoconservatives outside the administration, and apparently with some journalists who were reporting back to the admionistration what Wilson was doing.

Joe Wilson writes in his book that he was aware that a journalist was going to write an article identifying him as a White House critic. So he wrote his article for the NYT.

Judith is covering up her role in this period.

[ashling]

8. "if she were not a reporter?"

she just plays one on TV

[Coexist]

9. If her source said Okay - name me - she is just being stubborn

to make herself a martyr for her upcoming book deal (just assuming the book deal)

[wurzel]

10. In this instance she was not acting as a reporter.

What could she possibly be reporting about? This was a criminal conspiracy against Amb. Wilson using his wife's name and job. If she had information on this she is legally expected to tell it.

[Salluc]

12. yep, to jail

and not for this -- protecting a treasonous sour grapes source, instead of a reprisal fearful whistle blower -- Judith Miller should be in jail, along with every member of the Bush administration for willfully disseminating false information that sent us into Iraq. She was Challabi's (sp?) greatest fan and even after other began pulling back from his increasingly discredited "information" just kept up the drum beat.
If not jail, well, at least infamy.h

[amazona]

14. happens all the time and it isn't news because media don't care

Apparently it's all right if the regular guy goes to jail for contempt of court for refusing to testify about his knowledge of a crime but we're all supposed to care about this worthless "reporter"/propagandist.

Can't believe you don't know that people are routinely jailed for contempt of court in grand jury hearings. THis is why it is so scary to be contacted by the FBI for a possible grand jury proceedings. Talk to the FBI man, and you're in jail for "lying" to him, because they twist everything into a lie. Don't talk, and you're pulled in front of a grand jury and jailed for contempt because you know nothing or want to protect your friends or feel you shouldn't be forced to incriminate yourself.

You guys seriously never heard of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s? This stuff is routine, and was used to utterly crush progressives of that era.

Boo hoo that once in my lifetime it's used against someone on the right. Cry me a river. If you don't like the grand jury, the time to speak up was when our side was being steam-rollered.

Sauce for the goose.