[AndyTheBear]

The New York Times has a First Amendment privilege to protect the confidentiality of its sources by denying the government phone records in certain instances.

Is this description of the ruling really accurate? Did the judge actually rule the reporters had a special protection the rest of us don't have? If so, can Freepers or bloggers qualify as reporters if the post enough articles?

[cyncooper]

I'm fixing to leave but just am googling this judge and surprise! (not), he's a Carter appointee and O'Reilly (not that I'm a huge O'Reilly fan, per se), called him a loon because of a ruling he made in favor of protesters during the Republican Convention.

This will be appealed and Fitzgerald is armed with the recent unanimous Appellate decision in his other grand jury case which found no special privilege for reporters.

I have not read Judge Sweet's decision, just these articles characterizing the ruling.