"For Better Or Worse, The Press Is Right In The Middle" Of Libby Trial

(AP / CBS)

As the Lewis Libby trial gets rolling, reporters' notebooks are once again the subject of much interest. In a hearing yesterday, The New York Times and Time magazine agreed to submit to U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton reporters' notebooks and other materials related to the case. The judge will decide whether the material must be shown to Libby's lawyers, who issued subpoenas for the information to several news organizations back in April. According to the Washington Post today, The Times, Time and NBC

"had filed motions seeking to quash subpoenas filed by Libby's attorneys on the grounds that the requests were too sweeping and that some of the material did not exist, was irrelevant or is protected. The Washington Post and CNN separately turned over enough subpoenaed information to satisfy Libby's attorneys; The Post said in a statement that it did so without violating promises to its sources.
Walton indicated that he accepted NBC's argument that it had no relevant materials."

For the media, it looks like the controversy is just getting started. One of Libby's attorneys, William Jeffress "said that 'for better or worse, the press is right in the middle' of the trial. But Walton expressed skepticism about the defense requests, noting that the court 'has to be cautious' about releasing information related to journalists' sources."

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