Journalists; prohibits a body authority to issue a subpoena to testify regarding any information. (HB2199)

Introduced By

Del. Barbara Comstock (R-McLean)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Journalists as witnesses.  Prohibits a body with the authority to issue a subpoena or other compulsory process from compelling a journalist to testify regarding or to produce or disclose in an official proceeding any confidential or nonconfidential information, document, or item obtained or prepared while the person was acting as a journalist or to produce or disclose in an official proceeding the source of any such material. The bill prohibits a subpoena or other compulsory process from compelling the parent, subsidiary, division, or affiliate of a communication service provider or news medium to disclose the information, documents, or items, or the source of such material, that is privileged from disclosure under the provisions of the bill. The bill further authorizes a court, in limited circumstances, to compel a journalist, a journalist's employer, or a person with an independent contract with a journalist to testify regarding or to produce or disclose any information, document, or item or the source of any such material obtained while the person was acting as a journalist. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/12/2011Committee
01/12/2011Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/12/11 11103686D
01/12/2011Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/18/2011Assigned Courts sub: #2 Civil
01/26/2011Subcommittee recommends passing by with letter
02/08/2011Left in Courts of Justice

Comments

ppradoslaw writes:

Although I understand the premise of creating a journalistic privilege, this bill really just creates some highly restrictive evidentiary rules to protect journalists. Some major rewrites will be needed to avoid the unintended consequences of this bill.