A bill to protect the people's right to know by regulating the testimony of newsmen.

Summary

Provides that a newsman shall be competent and compellable to testify as a witness in a criminal proceeding before a federal grand jury or a criminal action in a federal court in respect to information gathered by him only for the purpose stated if the following conditions occur with respect to such information: (1) the information is based on the personal knowledge of the newsman rather than on hearsay communications received by him from others; and (2) the information tends to prove or disprove the commission of a crime allegedly committed by a third person which is being investigated by the grand jury or made the subject of prosecution in the courts. States that when a newsman is subpoenaed to testify in a criminal proceeding before a federal grand jury or in a criminal action in a federal court, the newsman may move before the judge of the court in which the grand jury is sitting or in which the criminal action is pending to quash the subpoena on the ground that the testimony sought to be elicited from him does not satisfy the conditions enumerated above.

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Timeline

1. 20 February 1973

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 20 February 1973

   Introduced

   Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary.

   Source: IntroReferral

Votes

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Versions

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Documents

1 official file

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 20 February 1973

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Sen. Ervin, Sam J., Jr. [D-NC] · D · Sponsor
• Sen. Pearson, James B. [R-KS] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Jackson, Henry M. [D-WA] · D · Cosponsor
• · ssju00 · Standing

Related records

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