David Ashenfelter
Pulitzer-winning Detroit journalist David Ashenfelter scores a major victory for himself and journalists who have long proclaimed the importance of keeping confidential sources secret.
In what could be the end of an 11-year battle, a federal appeals court rules that he can claim Fifth Amendment protection in keeping the name of an anonymous source secret, JC Reindl of the Detroit Free Press reports.
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ruled Friday against former federal prosecutor Ricahrd Convertino, who was suing the Justice Department, claiming it illegally leaked information to Ashenfelter in a 2004 story to retaliate against him for criticizing the government's handling of the war on terrorism.
Convertino wanted the court to force Ashenfelter to disclose his source of the story that said Convertino was under internal investigation for his handling of a discredited terrorism trial called the "Detroit Sleeper Cell" trial, the Free Press reported.
Convertino left the U.S. Attorney's Office and started a private practice in 2005. Ashenfelter retired from the paper in 2012.
“After 11 years of worry, stress and sleepless nights, I’m relieved that this legal nightmare may finally be over – at least for me," Ashenfelter told the Free Press on Friday. Neither Convertino nor his attorney returned messages seeking comment Friday from the Free Press.
Richard Convertino/law firm photo
The underlying lawsuit in the battle with Ashenfelter is pending in Washington, the Freep reports. But for Ashenfelter it is likely the end of the legal battle over his source.
