Ohio reporter avoids jail after confidential source steps foward

An Ohio county judge rescinded an arrest warrant for a local reporter after his confidential source revealed himself today, The Plain Dealer reported.

An arrest warrant was issued yesterday after Plain Dealer reporter Gabriel Baird failed to appear in court to reveal the source that provided him with a 2005 psychiatric report of a man accused of murdering 11 women. The report claimed that Anthony Sowell was "unlikely to assault women."

The order for Baird to reveal his source was dropped after a different county judge, Timothy McGinty, came forward. Both prosecutors and the presiding judge claim McGinty was within his rights to reveal the information. 

Prior to McGinty stepping forward, Baird and The Plain Dealer had been arguing the source was protected under the state’s shield law.