Charges against journalist over maternity ward investigation dropped

Prosecutors will not pursue charges against a Texas journalist who was arrested last year while reporting a story on security in Amarillo hospitals, The Associated Press reported.

Cecilia Lynn Coy-Jones, of KCBD-TV, had faced attempted aggravated kidnapping charges after she walked into a maternity ward with a large bag, asking questions about security and child abduction, The AP said. As part of a deal reached with the authorities, the station agreed to apologize over the incident: “Any alleged violation of Texas law, should such have occurred, was an unintended consequence of what we believed to be a beneficial test of security,” the station’s statement said, in an advertisement in the Amarillo Globe-News.

Even so, the station reportedly issued a press release Friday saying, "These types of investigations are the obligation of a news leader like KCBD. NewsChannel 11 will continue to do groundbreaking investigations that push the envelope and test the system. We are proud of Cecelia and all of her work in that area."