Fight over dead reporter’s sources stalls before Vegas judge – By Ken Ritter (Associated Press) / Sept 28, 2022
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A fight to block government access to a slain investigative journalist’s sources and unpublished work stalled Wednesday, when a Las Vegas judge said she didn’t have jurisdiction to consider the question.
However, a lawyer heading efforts by Nevada’s largest newspaper, 43 media organizations and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press promised to ask a state court to prevent police and prosecutors from reviewing records, files and phone calls on the dead reporter’s electronic devices.
Police allege that Robert “Rob” Telles, a Democratic elected county official, waited in a vehicle outside the home of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German and fatally stabbed him on Sept. 2. Prosecutors characterized the attack as a response to German’s articles, which were critical of Telles and his managerial conduct.
“The press relies upon sources to come forward and be able to trust reporters to keep information and their identities confidential in order to share information about all kinds of wrongdoing,” Ashley Kissinger, the attorney representing the Review-Journal and media entities including The Associated Press, said outside court.
