some anthrax news

http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Advocates_say_ruling_chills_reporte_03082008.html


Press Advocates Criticize Judge in Contempt Case Against Former Reporter


A judge is trying to bankrupt an ex-reporter with daily fines as much as $5,000 for refusing to disclose her sources for stories about the 2001 anthrax attacks, press advocates said Saturday.

They also said the case involving Toni Locy shows why Congress should pass a federal shield law for reporters.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton on Friday denied a request from Locy to stay payment of fines for a contempt citation pending an appeal and ruled she must "personally bear the responsibility of paying the fine the court imposed."

While at USA Today, Locy wrote about a former Army scientist, Steven J. Hatfill, whom the Justice Department identified in 2002 as a "person of interest" in the anthrax attacks. They killed five and sickened 17 others weeks after the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, 2001.

-snip-

"What he's doing is essentially saying, 'Toni Locy I am going to destroy your life'" she said. "This is just plain crazy. I know you're not supposed to call a federal judge arrogant, but this is arrogant."

The judge pointed to statements Hatfill's lawyers made in court papers in explaining his rationale. Hatfill's legal team said that while Locy's reporting was conducted "within the scope of her employment for USA Today, her contempt was not. It began long after she left the employment of USA Today."

Starting at midnight Tuesday, Locy was ordered to pay fines of $500 a day for the first week, $1,000 a day for the second week and $5,000 thereafter until she appears before the judge April 3.
-snip-
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see how they get rid of truth tellers.

They've set the date of her appearance and they're fining her every week until the appearance? Arrogance ain't the word for it.

Why am I supposed to be upset about this?

to slander Hatfill (while the real anthraxer gets away scot free) will take care of her. She'll be fine.

I don't get the "truth teller" part. She's repeating a lie given to her by a government official.

She should be coming clean on who her sources were because it's the right thing to do. This case involves multiple deaths and a government agency is giving out false and misleading stories. She should be worried about exposing the cover up and not worried about protecting her source.

Maybe if we knew who was peddling the lies it would help solve the question as to who's responsible for this atrocity.

Hatfill was the patsy. Locy was the mouthpiece for the propaganda. Squeeze her until she squeals.

I admire Judge Walton's actions here and in the Libby case.

convicted Libby

silenced Sibel's case against govt imposed gag order

He gets around

has some blacked out sections of his financial disclosures or so I've read

nt