Deck 8: Newsgatherers Privilege

Question 1

The Privacy Protection Act of 1980 was passed in response to which Supreme Court case?

A)Branzburg v.Hayes.
B)Estes v.Texas.
C)Craig v.Harney.
D)Zurcher v.Stanford Daily.
E)Bridges v.California.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The Supreme Court first held that judges may not use their contempt powers to silence journalistic criticism or other First Amendment activities unless there is a clear and present danger to the administration of justice in:

A)Branzburg v.Hayes.
B)Estes v.Texas.
C)Craig v.Harney.
D)Mitchell v.Superior Court.
E)Bridges v.California.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

What high-profile reporter was forced to testify in the espionage case of former CIA agent Jeffrey Sterling?

A)Jana Winter.
B)James Risen.
C)Bill Farr.
D)Judith Miller.
E)Vanessa Leggett.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Reporter Bill Farr eventually escaped his contempt of court citation because:

A)an appellate court ruled that a person who violates a court order as an act of moral principle cannot be jailed indefinitely.
B)a court ruled that the state shield law protected him.
C)a federal court ruled that he was protected by reporter's privilege.
D)he served his 30-day prison term and was then released.
E)he was excused from his contempt citation because he was no longer working as a reporter.

Question 5

A citation for direct contempt of court is most likely to result from a situation in which:

A)someone violates the decorum of a courtroom (e.g. ,by taking unauthorized pictures).
B)a newspaper criticizes a judge in print.
C)a broadcast editorial tells a judge to decide a pending case in a certain way.
D)someone tries to influence the outcome of a case by actions far from the courtroom.
E)all of these.

Question 6

The Second Circuit in 2011 said that reporters' privilege should not be treated differently in criminal cases from how it is in civil cases in:

A)In re Application of Chevron Corp. .
B)Too Much Media LLC v.Hale.
C)U.S.v.Treacy.
D)Estes v.Texas.
E)Craig v.Harney.

Question 7

In 1991 the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment does not protect the news media from being sued for breaking a promise not to identify a news source.The case?

A)Cohen v.Cowles Media.
B)Bridges v.California.
C)Branzburg v.Hayes.
D)Farr v.Pitchess.
E)Zurcher v.Stanford Daily.

Question 8

What happened in 2013 that boosted journalists' case for a federal shield law?

A)An Oregon blogger was found to have protection under the state shield law.
B)Filmmaker Ken Burns won the right not to turn over material from a documentary.
C)The Department of Justice subpoenaed phone numbers for some Associated Press offices.
D)Jana Winter declined to testify in the James Holmes case .
E)None of these.

Question 9

Judith Miller was eventually released from jail because:

A)she agreed to identify her source.
B)Congress passed a shield law to get her out of jail.
C)the Supreme Court ruled that she was protected by reporter's privilege under the First Amendment.
D)the prosecutor dropped the request that she testify and asked a court to release her.
E)none of these.

Question 10

Indirect contempt of court is most likely to result from a situation in which:

A)someone violates the decorum of a courtroom (by shouting obscenities,for instance).
B)someone tries to influence the outcome of a trial by actions away from the courtroom.
C)someone violates the judge's order,as by refusing to testify.
D)someone refuses to leave the courtroom when ordered to do so.
E)someone takes courtroom pictures when cameras are not allowed.

Question 11

A shield law did not protect a documentary filmmaker's outtakes in the case of:

A)Branzburg v.Hayes.
B)In re Application of Chevron Corp. .
C)Too Much Media LLC v.Hale.
D)Farr v.Pitchess.
E)Zurcher v.Stanford Daily.

Question 12

In Branzburg v.Hayes,the Supreme Court held that:

A)contempt of court is possible even if the contemptuous act occurs some distance from the courtroom.
B)contempt citations violate the First Amendment when used to prevent media commentary,unless there is a clear and present danger to the administration of justice.
C)reporters must always testify when ordered to do so by a judge.
D)reporters must testify before federal grand juries,but there may be other times when reporter's privilege exempts them from testifying.
E)all of these.

Question 13

Vanessa Leggett was eventually released from jail without identifying her sources or revealing other confidential information because:

A)a court upheld her right to protect confidential information under the First Amendment.
B)a court held that she was protected by a shield law.
C)the federal grand jury that had subpoenaed her adjourned without indicting anyone.
D)a court ruled that her continued incarceration would constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
E)all of these.

Question 14

Judith Miller of the New York Times was jailed for declining to identify a source because:

A)she was not protected by any shield law.
B)a federal appeals court said she was not protected by any reporter's privilege based on the First Amendment.
C)the Supreme Court declined to hear her case after lower courts ruled against her.
D)the prosecutor said her testimony was needed in a grand jury investigation.
E)all of these.

Question 15

In what state was the reporter's privilege law held not apply to a blogger (in the case Obsidian Finance Group,LLC v.Cox),but the outcome was then reversed by the Ninth Circuit?

A)Minnesota.
B)New York.
C)California.
D)New Hampshire.
E)Oregon.

Question 16

If the traditional common law didn't recognize an evidentiary privilege for journalists,under what circumstances did the common law recognize such a privilege?

A)the lawyer-client relationship.
B)the doctor-patient relationship.
C)the priest-penitent relationship.
D)the husband-wife relationship.
E)all of these.