Arianna Huffington: Preemptive PR: The Times Makes the Case for Judy

[Jack Rabbit]

From The Huffington Post
Dated Tuesday August 16

Preemptive PR: The Times Makes the Case for Judy... Again
By Arianna Huffington

Here is the opening exchange from Monday’s Lou Dobbs interview with Judy Miller’s lawyer, Floyd Abrams:

DOBBS: Let's begin with 40 days in jail. How much longer is this going to go on?

ABRAMS: Well, the order of confinement by the judge was that she would stay in jail until she revealed her confidential sources, or until the grand jury expired, which is right now scheduled for October 28th. So it would be until then, unless there was -- there were additional legal steps taken against her. (emphasis added)

. . . The biggest fear among Judy loyalists that I've spoken to (yes, they still speak to me. Does this make them disloyal Judy loyalists?), is that there will be "additional legal steps" -- i.e. that Judy will be charged with criminal contempt -- a charge that, believe it or not, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison (though a sentence of three to six months is far more likely). TalkLeft has a helpful primer on the differences between criminal and civil contempt -- but, at its most basic, civil contempt is a coercive measure used to get someone to talk; criminal contempt is used to punish someone for not cooperating with the court.

Read more.

Fitzgerald seems to believe that Ms. Miller has no valid claim of confidentiality and is obstructing justice.

[chelsea0011]

1. I gotta tell ya. As much information as I get, I still can't figure out

why she alone is in jail. What the hell is she protecting that others didn't? She couldn't get a pass from her source as the other NYT reporter did? Something has never added up here.

[Verve]

2. The only thing I can infer is that she was a favored journalist at the WH

who possibly got in too deep. I bet she's also covering up for herself as well. (IMO)

[Jack Rabbit]

3. It looks like all the other journalists in the case are cooperating

Robert Novak appears to have cut a deal with Fitzgerald early on.

Matt Cooper is talking.

That leaves Judy Miller.

Fitzgerald must think she knows a lot more than just who she used as a source for a story she didn't write. If that's all there were to it, civil contempt should be sufficient.

[librechik]

4. no. she didn't get a pass

and who has not written such a pass? Why the list includes Dick Cheney, George Bush and Condoleeza Rice!

Judith is not there because she is protecting a whistleblower. She is there because she is protecting a criminal in the White House. It is an outrage that the NYT is spinning her incarceration as journalistic honor. She has no honor. When you honor a criminal above the interest of the people, that is not honor.