What world do YOU live in? Almost every witness testifying today (besides cops, expert witnesses, etc) is there in one of two conditions. They are either voluntary (the majority), or offered a plea bargain for their own crimes, in exchange for testimony.
But the plea bargain crowd is free from forced testimony (assuming they are willing to opt instead to be tried for their own crime which they are trying to avoid)
Forced testimony is rather unusual because it is not easy to accomplish. It’s a last resort, and usually results in rather poor quality information. Sort of like if you force someone to cook you a meal. But it was very common in the USSR and Nazi Germany. It’s also in vogue in China.
“it was very common in the USSR and Nazi Germany”
This sentence has finally made me sick of the internet. I quit.
If I understand you and your opponent, your battle is over the value of the testimony of the reporter when, from my view, the matter is simply trying to find out who leaked the information. From all accounts, the veracity of what has been leaked is not being called to question. And in actuality, the court is pissed off about the matter of fact of the leak and is seeking to punish whomever did the leaking. For my dough, all of it stinks. The reporter ( for once ) did the citizens a service because the court was actually trying to hide this information from public disclosure and it does not seem that the judge was concerned about the impact on the defendant, but rather the impact on “the government.” If you extend the axiom that it is NEVER in your interests to speak to anyone in law enforcement a little, you would also NEVER give testimony in a court of law. In both instances, you place yourself, in today’s sorry legal system, in serious jeopardy. As someone said, the reporter shouldn’t say a word and leave the “driving” to the Fox attorneys.