Delaney v. Superior Court

Opinion

EAGLESON, J.

The issues in this case are: (1) whether the term “unpublished information” in the California newsperson’s shield law (Cal. Const., art. I, § 2, subd. (b); Evid. Code, § 1070) includes a newsperson’s non-confidential, eyewitness observations of an occurrence in a public place; and, (2) if so, whether a newsperson can nevertheless be held in contempt for refusing to disclose such information in a criminal proceeding. *793As we shall explain, we hold the shield law’s broad definition of “unpublished information” does not require a showing by the newsperson that the information…