DETROIT (AP) - A retired Detroit newspaper reporter who refused to reveal his source for an unflattering story about a prosecutor has won a key ruling from a federal appeals court.
The court said Friday there’s nothing wrong with David Ashenfelter invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
At the Detroit Free Press, Ashenfelter wrote a story in 2004 about an ethics investigation involving Richard Convertino, who was a federal prosecutor.
Convertino sued the U.S. Justice Department, claiming his privacy was violated by someone who gave a confidential report to Ashenfelter.
Convertino has been trying to learn the identity of the leaker, but Ashenfelter won’t give it up, fearing he’d be at risk for possible prosecution.
Ashenfelter says his “legal nightmare may finally be over” with the appeals court decision.
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