Arianna Huffington: Preemptive PR: The Times Makes the Case for Judy [View All]

Preemptive PR: The Times Makes the Case for Judy... Again
By Arianna Huffington

Here is the opening exchange from Monday’s Lou Dobbs interview with Judy Miller’s lawyer, Floyd Abrams:

DOBBS: Let's begin with 40 days in jail. How much longer is this going to go on?

ABRAMS: Well, the order of confinement by the judge was that she would stay in jail until she revealed her confidential sources, or until the grand jury expired, which is right now scheduled for October 28th. So it would be until then, unless there was -- there were additional legal steps taken against her. (emphasis added)

. . . The biggest fear among Judy loyalists that I've spoken to (yes, they still speak to me. Does this make them disloyal Judy loyalists?), is that there will be "additional legal steps" -- i.e. that Judy will be charged with criminal contempt -- a charge that, believe it or not, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison (though a sentence of three to six months is far more likely). TalkLeft has a helpful primer on the differences between criminal and civil contempt -- but, at its most basic, civil contempt is a coercive measure used to get someone to talk; criminal contempt is used to punish someone for not cooperating with the court.