If a journalist chooses to refuse to cooperate with a court's order, then that journalist is breaking the law. The journalist may well be bravely standing on a moral principle, but civil disobedience has a price - and one who practices civil disobedience must be willing to pay that price.

Jed --

The right of journalists, and other writers by extension, to protect their sources in the interest of keeping the communication lines un-jeapordized, enjoys a long tradition uinder the Consitution. Congress is not entitled, nor is any judge, to make law which inhibits the right of free press. If this is condoned, it will be yet another encroachment on the right of the press to go freely and speak freely, and with assured safety for so doing under the law. If that freedom corrodes, as those in law enforcement would prefer, we can kiss the Great Exp[eriment of human liberty fare-thee-well, and its Katy-bar-the-door whether our next long-term government pattenr will be commercial, fascist or theocraticv -- none of them options I would prefer to live under.,p>Regards,

A