Judge Sends Vlogger Journalist To Prison for Not Handing Over Footage of Protest
Published by Jonny Goldstein on 1 Aug 2006 at 7:07 pm.
3 Comments.
Filed under Vlog News.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that videoblogger Josh Wolf was imprisoned today for not giving videotapes he shot of an anarchist protest to a federal grand jury.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup found Josh Wolf in contempt of court for failing to comply with a subpoena that the grand jury issued in February for tapes Wolf made of the July 2005 demonstration in the Mission District. Wolf posted some of the videos on his Web site — thisrevolution.blogspot.com/2006/07/1-year-ago.html — and sold that footage to local television stations. Federal prosecutors demanded the rest of the tapes, saying they might contain evidence of attempted arson. Link to article
Ryan Hodson shot a ten minute video of a press conference held by Wolf immediately before today’s hearing (Correction, this was shot on July 24). Hodson had this to say about the importance of this case:
For us, it’s important to support journalists or anyone with a camera being harassed by the government to turn over recordings of public events that each of us has every right to record. We don’t want the government, local or federal, to make it a habit of asking for anything we happen to record. Then we each might question: “Do I want to record this and be harassed later on?” This is especially true during controversial political events.
California has a shield law which gives journalists the right to refuse to give unpublished work to prosecutors, but there is no federal shield law. The prosecutors claim a police car was burned at the protest, and since the San Francisco Police Department receives federal funds, they argue that burning the car is a federal offence.
Wolf will be imprisoned for at least 10 days, until his appeal of the contempt order is heard. If he loses the appeal he could be jailed until this coming July.
On a personal note, I met Josh in June at Vloggercon 2006 in San Francisco. We talked about his legal travails, and he came across as sincere and principled. I feel like the federal government is reaching too far in this case. I’m going to contribute money to his legal defense fund, and if upon examining his case you support him, I urge you to do the same.
nalts on 1 Aug 2006 at 7:38 pm: 1
I’d turn over everything except the moment that implicates the arsonist. The prison stint would be some well deserved time off work and good publicity for the blog. I’d maintain, of course, that it was a “freedom of speech” thing.
Then when the whole thing blows over I’d sell the clip to CNN. But I’m a sellout in general.
Jonny Goldstein on 1 Aug 2006 at 7:43 pm: 2
Nalts,
To hear Josh tell it, he has no footage of any burning car, and he didn’t even see any burning car.
I don’t think publicity for his blog is worth spending almost a year in jail.
Anyway, if it was me, I’d hand those tapes over in 5 seconds. But I’m gutless like that.
Tim on 3 Aug 2006 at 6:00 am: 3
I’m with Jonny. I find myself asking how much impact this is really going to have?