At first, seizing Scalia tapes called OK (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

At first, seizing Scalia tapes called OK

34 minutes ago

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Federal marshals broke no laws
when seizing tape recordings from reporters from The
Associated Press and the Hattiesburg American during a
2004 speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia,
an initial agency investigation found.

The marshals service's general counsel "reviewed the
allegations and determined that there were no violations
of the laws," according to a summary report of the April
2004 investigation, published Thursday in the Hattiesburg
newspaper.

Later that year, the Marshals Service acknowledged in a
lawsuit settlement that it violated the federal Privacy
Protection Act, which protects journalists from having
their work product seized by the government.

The conflict began in April 2004 when a deputy marshal
demanded that the two reporters erase recordings of
Scalia's remarks at Presbyterian Christian School. The
reporters had not been told before the speech that they
could not use tape recorders, and their news organizations
sued the agency.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070615/ap_on_re_us/scalia_recording_1

---

Source: Hattiesburg American

Marshals violated no laws
By JILLIAN KRAMER

United States marshals who seized tape recorders of reporters
for the Hattiesburg American and the Associated Press during
a 2004 speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
violated no laws, an investigation determined.

The investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service was conducted
after marshals ordered American reporter Antoinette Konz and
AP reporter Denise Grones to erase their recordings of Scalia's
speech at the Presbyterian Christian High School in April 2004.

"Based on the information he had available, U.S. Marshals
Service General Counsel also reviewed the allegations and
determined that there were no violations of the laws cited in
the letters of complaint," according to a summary report on
the investigation.

The documents received Wednesday were initially requested
more than three years ago by the newspaper under the
Freedom of Information Act.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070614/NEWS01/706140323

[sinkingfeeling]

1. So much for freedom of the press!

[Richard Steele]

2. K&R

[librechik]

3. Buried Lede:" A later lawsuit found the marshalls had violated privacy laws..."

and they acknowledged their error and changed the rules in response!

Thanks AP for a very confusing and misleading story!

And WTF is up with that tortured headline? They just had to make it look good for the admin?

[fasttense]

4. Welcome to the USSR circa 1986. n/t