If a friend of mine steals something and gives it to a "journalist," this "journalist" faces no such consequences.
That is a ludicrous double standard that has no place in a free nation. A journalist has no special protection under the U.S. Constitution, a remarkable fact that hardly anyone seems to realize.
But these tactics over a Public Defender who died like John Entwistle do not strike me something to which the Founders would give a cheery two-thumbs up.
I agree. But first and foremost, I suspect the whole idea of a "police department," "police officers," "FBI agents," and "public defender" would also be something that those Founders would find completely alien in a free nation.
I am not aware of the legality around police reports and property rights. The story simply says they never asked for the report, just the source. My understanding is that individuals are not required to give up sources under simple questioning. Indeed, most attorneys advise to not answer ANY police question without an attorney present. But yes, Jefferson would weep at our current state of law enforcement.