Judge Won't Jail Reporter; Fellow Jurist Says He Gave Accused Serial Killer's Psych Report to Paper
After a fellow jurist admitted that he gave a confidential psychiatric report on an accused serial killer to an Ohio newspaper, the judge overseeing the case of murder defendant Thomas Sowell has dropped her threat to jail reporter Gabriel Baird if he didn’t reveal the source.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold said Common Pleas Judge Timothy McGinty told her he was the source of the report provided to the Plain Dealer for an article about Sowell last year, eliminating the need to obtain the information from Baird, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Attorney Lou Colombo, who represents the newspaper, said today in court that Baird had only been allowed to look at the report, not to obtain a copy of it.
Saffold threatened to jail Baird after he failed to appear yesterday at a court hearing, reports the Associated Press.
He was not subpoenaed but simply told in a phone call from a court worker to come to court yesterday, the Plain Dealer says in an earlier article.
Related prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Authorities Reel Over Parolees’ Stunning Alleged Crimes in 2 States”
ABAJournal.com: “Judge’s E-Mail to Newspaper Reportedly Forces Him Off Alleged Serial Killer’s Trial”
