Judy Miller Gives 'Deep Throat' a Prize, Awaits SPJ Award

By: E&P Staff Do Judith Miller and Mark Felt belong together in any sense? It happened Saturday night, when, just as The New York Times was publishing a tough account of Miller's role in the Plame probe, she was giving 'Deep Throat' a prize in California.

The award presented by the California First Amendment Coalition was accepted by Nick Jones, the grandson of former FBI associate director Felt, 92, who could not attend.

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Miller is scheduled to pick up a First Amendment Award from the Society of Professional Journalists on Tuesday, also in California.

Saturday she praised Felt as a courageous man who helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal in 1972-73.

Speaking about her involvement in the Plame scandal, Miller said that she still would be behind bars if her source had not personally "called me in jail to say he really, really wanted me to testify."

Miller urged the adoption of a federal shield law to provide reporters protection from being forced to reveal confidential sources.

"I hope that other journalists will not have to make the choice that I did," she said.

Felt's grandson, Nick Jones, said he sees his grandfather as a figure comparable to Batman, "One of those crimefighters that come and go in the night."