Innocence project decision takes liberties in defining ‘journalist ‘ under the First Amendment

By ruling that Northwestern University journalism students  had to surrender internal e-mails concerning their efforts to free a man convicted of murder in 1978, Cook County judge concluded that the students were “investigators” working for the defense. In a commentary for the First Amendment Center, Gene Policinski points out that the First Amendment does not [...]

Illinois judge orders university journalism students to submit e-mails to prosecutors

A Cook County judge ruled that Northerwestern journalism students working under the Medill Innocence Project had to turn over internal e-mails to prosecutors in the case of a man serving a life sentence that the students were trying to free. The judge said the students were not acting as investigators under the supervision of the [...]

Coalition files amicus brief supporting Northwestern University students with records under subpoena

A friend-of-the-court brief has been filed in support of Northwestern University journalism students working on a project seeking to prove the innocence of convicts under sentence for murder. The State Attorney is seeking their notes, interview tapes and other records to discredit their work on the project. -DB Student Press Law Center Press Release January [...]

First Amendment advocate criticizes prosecutor’s subpoena of personal records in Innocence Project

Gene Policinski of the First Amendment Center says Chicago’s Cook County investigation of Medill ‘Innocence Project’ could chill students’ reporting, and time spent on the investigation would be better spent investigating the evidence presented by the students that a man was wrongly convicted of murder. -DB First Amendment Center Commentary November 15, 2009 By Gene Policinski [...]

Cook County prosecutors claim Innocence Project journalism students paid witness to make a case

Prosecutors looking into the conduct of student journalists investigating a murder conviction for Northwestern University’s Innocence Project say they  subpoenaed students’ grades, e-mail messages and records because they believed students paid a witness to achieve a result supporting innocence. -DB The New York Times November 10, 2009 By Emma Graves Fitzsimmons CHICAGO — Prosecutors on [...]

Illinois: State attorney subpoenas personal records of students involved in Northwestern project to prove the innocence of convicted felon

The Illinois state attorney’s office has requested the e-mails, grades, course syllabi, expense reports and notes and tapes belonging to students formerly involved in the Innocence Project and in trying to prove the innocence of a man convicted of murder in 1978. The state attorney is trying to trace a grade motive for evidence produced in [...]