Josh Wolf press conference September 1, 2006

Ninth Circuit Grants Bail for Jailed Journalist Josh
Wolf Lawyers Guild Hopeful, Strong Free Speech
Decision Possible

SAN FRANCISCO – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
granted bail today to Josh Wolf – the independent
journalist and blogger who was jailed August 1st
for refusing to turn over video footage to a federal
grand jury.

Press Conference

Friday, September 1 at 1 p.m.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
95 Seventh Street in San Francisco

Speakers:

Josh Wolf

Attorney Dan Siegel of Siegel & Yee

Carlos Villarreal of the National Lawyers Guild

Since Wolf’s jailing a number of organizations
besides the National Lawyers Guild have voiced support
for Wolf and condemnation of the Federal Government.
This month the Society For Professional Journalists
made a donation of $30,000 to his defense. The ACLU
and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
have both filed amicus curiae on behalf of Wolf.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, led by Ross
Mirkarimi and Tom Ammiano, also adopted a resolution
this month urging the passage of a Federal Shield
Law and condemning the federal government’s actions in
the Wolf case.

The resolution charges that the grand jury is n
“attempt to circumvent the local judicial system,”
since the crime being investigated involves an
alleged attack on a San Francisco police car.

“This provides some vindication and we are cautiously
optimistic about what the Ninth Circuit will
ultimately decide,” said Carlos Villarreal, Executive
Director of the National Lawyers Guild San Francisco
Bay Area. “We are hopeful that the justices are going
to consider the importance of a free and independent
media, especially when journalists are covering free
speech activities.”

Josh Wolf was ordered in contempt by Federal Judge
William Alsup on August 1st. The US Attorney’s
Office, led by Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey
Finigan, wants Wolf to testify before a federal grand
jury and hand over a video tape of a protest that
occurred in San Francisco’s Mission
District last July.

Court documents and past news articles can be found at

http://joshwolf.net/grandjury/

Official Website: http://joshwolf.net