Police raid on reporter erupts into 1st Amendment debate

Government doesn’t like to be criticized or exposed. But in this country, such criticism and exposure is supposed to be protected.

(From The AP)

A battle between the press and police is playing out in politically liberal San Francisco after police raided a freelance reporter’s home and office seeking to uncover the source of a leaked police report into the unexpected death of the city’s former elected public defender.

Journalist Bryan Carmody did not commit a crime when he acquired and published a police report, said First Amendment expert David Snyder because a police report is “not a confidential, legally protected document” and its disclosure and publication is lawful.