Judge orders Jewell sources p.12

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By: Editorial Staff A state judge in Atlanta has again ordered newspaper reporters to turn over their sources for stories about Richard Jewell, who was originally a major suspect in the Olympic Park bombing in 1996, The Associated Press reports. Attorneys for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution have denied previous requests for information.
Fulton County state judge John Mather ruled last year that the paper must identify the law enforcement officials who provided information about Jewell, but the paper refused. Mather gave the paper 60 days to comply or face civil contempt charges.
The paper is a defendant in a defamation suit filed by Jewell. After the fatal bombing during the Centennial Olympic games, the paper reported that Jewell was being investigated. Over a hundred were injured, and one woman was killed. Months later, the Justice Department cleared Jewell of wrongdoing in the case.
Mather says the reporters are not protected from naming their sources because they are parties to Jewell's lawsuit. "Our press enjoys no greater constitutional freedom under our First Amendment than any citizen," he says.
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?(copyright: Editor & Publisher March 20, 1999) [Caption]

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