State v. Rinaldo

Petitioner Theodore Rinaldo seeks reversal of the decision of the Court of Appeals which vacated the trial court's discovery order compelling in camera inspection of the files of The Herald (formerly The Everett Herald) which allegedly contain materials useful for his criminal defense. The type and scope of privilege a newspaper and its reporter may have to withhold confidential information from a criminal defendant is at issue.

During the spring and summer of 1979, Herald reporter Gary Larson wrote six articles concerning alleged cult activities at Eden Farms, a 60- to 80-acre farm operated…