The case of Josh Wolf, the freelance journalist, is taking a couple of interesting turns as a hearing approaches on Tuesday to determine if he should go to jail for refusing to give his video of a protest to a federal grand jury:
- • The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled Tuesday (a few hours after Wolf’s contempt of court hearing) to consider a resolution “Resisting the Federal Government’s Intervention in a San Francisco Investigation in the City and County of San Francisco’s investigation of the July 8th, 2005 G-8 protest and expressing support for the California Shield Law.” The resolution was introduced by supervisors Ross Mirkarimi and Chris Daly. To be fair, it was the San Francisco Police Department that asked the feds to investigate the case.
• Attorney Stephen Kaus, a blogger on The Huffington Post blog site, suggests that the reason the feds are investigating the case is that if the case remained in the state court system, Wolf would be protected by California’s Shield Law. California’s shield law does not apply in federal court, Kaus points out, and there’s not much to keep a journalist who refuses to cooperate in a federal case out of jail. Ask Judy Miller.
• Wolf has posted on his personal Web site, http://www.joshwolf.net, documents, articles and other items related to the case.
Tuesday’s hearing is set for 9 a.m. in U.S. District Court (before judge Judge William Alsup in Courtroom 9, 19th Floor), 450 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco.
[Bay Guardian: A Reporter in Wolf’s Clothing] [Merc columnist Herhold suggests Wolf post entire video online] [July 21 Chronicle: Judge gives protest videographer reprieve]