Maybe it has something to do with last month’s resignation of Kevin Ryan, the federal prosecutor for San Francisco. But in the same week that the feds cut loose two Chronicle reporters who wouldn’t reveal their source of a grand jury transcript, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered his magistrate to broker a deal with imprisoned journalist Josh Wolf “in the interest of reaching a resolution satisfactory to both sides.”
Of course, “satisfactory” to Wolf would be freedom.
Nobody will say who told Alsup to let Wolf go. But it doesn’t seem as if the defense — which hasn’t convinced the judge to do anything so far — could have set this chain of events in motion.
Anyway, stay tuned for the details in the Wolf case. In the meantime, watch this new video which offers some pictures (one posted here) of the anarchist protest that Ryan so desperately wanted to see. Listen to the video to hear what the cop with the gun was saying to the political protesters.
The news starts now:
- • CNET News: Wolf case assigned to mediator
• Bay City News (via FogCityJournal.com): Wolf attorney hopeful of mediation resolution
• USA Today’s profile of Kevin Ryan, which notes that a change in the Patriot Act II lets the administration fire federal prosecutors and replace them with attorneys without Senate confirmation. (Above, Ryan relaxes in his SF home. Photo for USA Today by Martin E. Kimek.)
BTW, the lyrics to the song by Ralph Buckley are: “What would you do if they asked you to rat on your friends? Do you think the means will justify your ends? ‘Cause now the revolution is televised before your eyes. Free Josh Wolf.”