Subpoenas

The City of Seattle withdrew subpoenas to three investigative reporters seeking the identity of several confidential sources. When news of the subpoenas spread, critics were quick to attack city attorney Thomas Carr — the ironic head of the state’s Sunshine Committee — for subpoenaing the reporters to identify sources as part of the city’s defense against a defamation suit from a former police officer.

A federal trial judge in San Diego ruled on Monday that a defense contractor convicted of bribing former U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham could not subpoena reporters to determine the source of leaks in his grand jury investigation.

The Seattle Times reports that three of the paper’s reporters could launch the first test of Washington’s shield law.

Seattle’s city attorney subpoenaed the reporters to ascertain the identity of confidential sources who provided information for a series of articles covering an investigation into police misconduct.

The Santa Barbara Independent reports that Superior Court Judge Brian Hill found photographer Paul Wellman in contempt of court for failing to turn over photographs subpoenaed in the murder trial of 14-year-old Ricardo Juarez.

As we have said earlier, this seems to be nothing more than a fishing expedition by defense attorney Karen Atkins.

Marking the end of a bizarre case, the AP reports that Superior Court Judge Anna M. Baca refused to take any additional action despite ruling that former special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik failed to comply with state law when he issued subpoenas on the Phoenix New Times and two of its reporters.