A panel of appellate court judges in Washington, D.C., appeared skeptical on Monday of a longtime journalist’s argument that she should not be held in contempt of court for refusing to disclose her sources.
The three-judge panel grilled former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge’s attorney about the case during oral arguments and appeared poised to agree with a lower court that Herridge should be held in civil contempt. The appellate court’s final decision, which could come any day, could result in Herridge facing hefty daily fines or even jail time.
Herridge’s attorney, Pat Philbin, tried to convince the three judges that there was a “balancing act” they should consider involving Herridge’s press freedom and plaintiff Yanping Chen’s claims that Chen’s privacy was violated.
Court precedent “calls for a genuine balancing test and one that is heavily…
