...Thomas F. Hogan, chief judge of Washington's federal district court, told a meeting of the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association that he made the right call when he ruled there was no First Amendment protection for reporters to keep their sources confidential, especially in criminal matters.
The case of reporter Judith Miller began as a typical Washington political story as the White House tried to push back against critics in a brewing scandal, Hogan told the group.
"It was the perfect storm," he said, of Washington politics, the media and the law.
...
"Blood was spreading in the water," Hogan said. "The sharks were gathering. It's typical Washington politics, except that this involved the commission of a crime."
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Miller wasn't an innocent bystander, Hogan said. "She was an actor in the commission of a crime," he said.
"She was part of the transfer of information that was a crime." http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-cia-leak-judge,0,3302483.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines