Asked about WikiLeaks, Breyer gives away little

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_us/us_supreme_court_breyer

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer tantalized a Florida audience with his comments Wednesday about the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, but gave away little about his legal stance.

Appearing at a joint gathering of the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and the Palm Beach County Bar Association, Breyer took a question from a high school student who asked about the legality of whistleblowing as seen on WikiLeaks.

"Usually what's at stake is the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects expression, it doesn't protect all expression," Breyer said. "The cases are all over the place."

The justice said disclosing the specifics of a secret weapon would not be permissible, just as shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater isn't. But he gave no inkling to his stance on Assange's publishing of a massive cache of confidential U.S. military and diplomatic documents and whether that was legal.