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For other persons named Josh Wolf, see Josh Wolf (disambiguation).

Joshua Wolf (born June 8, 1982) is an American video blogger, freelance journalist, and filmmaker[1] who was jailed by a Federal district court on August 1, 2006 for refusing to turn over a collection of videotapes he recorded during a July 2005 demonstration in San Francisco, California. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging is a form of Blogging for which the medium is Video. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. The United States district courts are the general Trial courts of the United States federal court system. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Videotape is a means of recording images and sound onto Magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Wolf served 226 days in prison at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, California, longer than any other journalist in U. The Federal Correctional Institution Dublin (FCI Dublin is a federal Prison for Women in the United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. S. history has served for protecting source materials[2]. With permission from the prosecution, U. S. District Judge William Alsup ordered Wolf's release on April 3, 2007[3]. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. On July 4, 2007, Wolf announced that he had filed a declaration of intent to run for mayor of San Francisco against incumbent Gavin Newsom. The Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the government of San Francisco, California. Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10 1967 is the current mayor of San Francisco. [4]

Contents

Biography

Josh Wolf is a 2000 graduate of Serrano High School in Phelan, California, who went on to graduate from San Francisco State University in May 2006, with a degree in psychology. Phelan is a small unincorporated town located in San Bernardino County California just south of SR 18. San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and

The video

Wolf, a video activist who reported on numerous protest and progressive events, videotaped an anti-G8 anarchist protest in San Francisco on July 8, 2005 in which the protesters wore masks to hide their identities. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Later that same night, and over the next few days, Wolf posted edited clips of his video to a local activist news website, Bay Area Indymedia (Indybay)[5]. Indybay is the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, an all-volunteer organization which operates a community news website Indybay Wolf also sold some video to a television broadcast station (KRON) the day after the protest. KRON-TV, channel 4 is the MyNetworkTV affiliate for the San Francisco Bay Area. In the process of documenting protest actions, Wolf had recorded a tense scene of a protester being choked by a police officer and other officers threatening passers-by with stun guns. The only other recording that was broadcast nearly as much was a still photograph of a bloody police officer who was injured during the protest, not taken by Wolf. Other activists who posted video and photographs to the Bay Area Indymedia website were contacted by the FBI seeking their original source materials, but it is unknown how many, if any, turned over their recordings to Federal authorities. Wolf's videotape is the only known source material from the protest to have been sought by subpoena after refusal to turn it over. [6] On April 3, 2007, Wolf posted the unpublished footage on his blog[7] after being assured that he would not have to testify about the footage[8]. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Subpoena and arrest

The US District Court empaneled a grand jury to determine whether arson charges should be brought against some of the protesters on the suspicion that they may have intended to damage a police car by firing a bottle rocket under it, even though the only official damage reported was to a tail light. The United States district courts are the general Trial courts of the United States federal court system. In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. Bottle Rocket is a 1996 film directed by Wes Anderson. It was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. The premise for Federal intervention in a case involving a city police car was that the car was funded in part by Federal dollars. Josh Wolf did not shoot any footage of the car incident. But because he shot other video footage elsewhere during the protest, and the identities of some of the protesters were allegedly known to him, Wolf was targeted by Federal officials. Wolf was subpoenaed by the court, requiring him to turn over his footage and submit to testifying before the grand jury. A subpoena (səˈpiːnə is commonly defined as a written command to a person to Testify before a Court or be punished Specifically, the FBI subpoenaed him to provide "all documents, writings and recordings related to protest activities conducted in San Francisco" between 6:30 p. m. and 11:59 p. m. on July 8 as well any cameras, recording devices, and his computer.

Wolf refused to comply with the subpoena. His case was picked up by the National Lawyers Guild who asked a federal magistrate in San Francisco to block the grand jury subpoena, arguing that taking such action would have a chilling effect on other journalists covering future protests. The National Lawyers Guild is a progressive/left-wing Bar Association in the United States "dedicated to the need for basic and progressive change U. S. District Judge William Alsup rejected this argument and ordered Wolf be jailed on August 1, 2006 for contempt of court until he complied. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Contempt of court is a court ruling which in the context of a court trial or hearing deems an individual as having been disrespectful of the court its process and its invested

A federal appeals court granted him bail on August 31, 2006 and he was released on September 1, although Wolf again refused to comply with the district court order that he produce the videotape. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. On September 18, 2006 his bail was revoked and Wolf returned to prison on September 22, 2006. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The entire en banc Court of Appeals refused Wolf's subsequent appeals. En banc, in banc, in banco or in bank is a French term used to refer to the hearing of a legal case where all

February 7, 2007 marked the 169th day of Wolf's imprisonment, surpassing the time served by Vanessa Leggett, a Houston-based freelancer who was imprisoned for 168 days in 2001 and 2002 for declining to reveal unpublished material about a murder case. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Wolf remained in jail for a total of 226 days, the longest time a U. S. journalist has been held in contempt for refusing to divulge sources or unpublished material.

Release

On April 3, 2007, according to Wolf's lawyer David Greene, prosecutors dropped their insistence that Wolf testify before a grand jury after he posted the unaired video online. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. With permission from the prosecution, U. S. District Judge William Alsup signed an order requiring Wolf's release from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Dublin is a suburban city of the East (San Francisco Bay region of Alameda County, California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. [9].

Central legal issues

There were a number of important legal issues at dispute in this case, including:

Wolf argued that first amendment protections allow journalists to refuse to comply when a grand jury is not conducted in good faith. In the Common law, a grand jury is a type of Jury which determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial. For other senses of this word see Standing (disambiguation. In the Common law, and under many Statutes standing or Specifically, Wolf believes that the government wants his video tapes to help them identify people who were participating in the protests, not for actual footage of a crime that was committed. He has also argued that the federal prosecutor's claim for standing is tenuous (based on the fact that federal funds helped to pay for a police car that was damaged), and that the case was brought before a federal grand jury in order to avoid California's shield laws. A " shield law " is legislation designed to provide a news reporter with the right to refuse to testify as to information and/or sources of information obtained during the newsgathering [10] There is no Federal Shield Law at this time.

The Federal prosecutor argued that Wolf does not meet the statutory definition of a journalist (under California law) or a common law journalist's privilege based on the Federal Rules of Evidence. The Federal Rules of Evidence ( FRE) govern the admission of facts by which parties in the federal courts of the United States may prove their cases Further, they argued that even if he did, the protections afforded to journalists would not cover his activities in this case because he merely observed the incidents he recorded in a public place. He did not prompt them, nor did he offer anyone anonymity or confidentiality.

In their written ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against Wolf on all three issues. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts

Responses

Josh Wolf event poster 9-21-06 ver2.0
Josh Wolf event poster 9-21-06 ver2. 0

Questions of Wolf's legitimacy as a journalist have been answered by support from various journalist groups. For example, In 2006, The Society of Professional Journalists awarded Josh Wolf with a Journalist of the Year award "for upholding the principles of a free and independent press. The Society of Professional Journalists ( SPJ) formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing Journalists in the " Josh Wolf was the only journalist jailed for his professional activities in the United States in 2006, according to Committee to Protect Journalists [1] (this organization is a member of International Freedom of Expression Exchange). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ is an independent nonprofit organization based in New York New York, United States The International Freedom of Expression Exchange ( IFEX) founded in 1992 is a global network of 81 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right Support in the journalistic community is not uniform, however. On February 28, 2007, syndicated columnist Debra Saunders attacked the credibility of Wolf's arguments, namely the lack of an expectation of privacy of those he was filming. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Debra J Saunders (born 1954 is a conservative Columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle.

In a televised interview on February 9, 2007, Wolf and his attorney, Martin Garbus, responded to the question of the legitimacy of federal involvement, by claiming that the legal efforts against Wolf were part of a broader attempt by the government to learn the identity of people within the video who are critical of the Bush administration and to suppress American journalism at large. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Martin Garbus (born 1934 is an American attorney who is expert in trial law

Wolf stated during his portion of the interview via phone from prison that he has offered to allow the judge to review "in camera" the raw footage to determine if there's any applicable evidence within the video and the U. In Camera was a musical project of Andrew Gray, who later formed The Wolfgang Press. S. Attorney's office refused the offer based on a legal technicality. Wolf also said that the raw video doesn't offer any more applicable evidence of the arson or assault charges.

The U. S. Attorney's office declined to participate in the interview but a spokesperson sent a statement saying they were obligated to gather evidence and that six separate judges have ". . . ruled that this office has issued a lawful subpoena for legitimate investigative purposes . . . ".

The Rise Up Network Legal Fund held a benefit to help free Josh Wolf and the media in general on September 21, 2006. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Featured speakers included Ross Mirkarimi, Chris Daly, and Judith Miller. Ross Mirkarimi (born August 4 1961 is a member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, California. Chris Daly (born 1972 is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist

Candidacy for mayor

See also: San Francisco mayoral election, 2007

On July 4, 2007, Wolf announced his candidacy for the office of Mayor of San Francisco, against incumbent Gavin Newsom. The San Francisco mayoral election of 2007 occurred on November 6, 2007. Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10 1967 is the current mayor of San Francisco. Promising an "open and transparent government", Wolf stated he would wear a video camera everywhere he does his mayoral business. [11] His platform [12]also discusses homelessness, crime, transportation, public works, gay marriage, medical marijuana and other issues.

Wolf finished in 8th place with 1. 24% of votes cast.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Meet Josh Wolf
  2. ^ Burman, Tony, Jailed Journalist a symbol of Internet Age, "Letters From the Editor in Chief," CBC News, March 2, 2007
  3. ^ Egelko, Bob. Greg F Anderson (born 1966 is a former personal trainer best known for his work with Barry Bonds and links with BALCO. Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist Established in the 1930s, CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "Imprisoned freelance journalist to be released", San Francisco Chronicle, April, 3. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H
  4. ^ http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/07/05/n/HeadlineNews/MAYOR-WOLF/resources_bcn_html
  5. ^ Wolf, Josh, "Empires Must Fall", Indybay, July 8, 2005. Indybay is the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, an all-volunteer organization which operates a community news website Indybay
  6. ^ "On the Media" report, February 16, 2007 http://www.onthemedia.org/episodes/2007/02/16/segments/73800
  7. ^ Insurgent, "Watch the Unedited Video", The Revolution Will Be Televised, April, 3.
  8. ^ Egelko, Bob. "Imprisoned freelance journalist to be released", San Francisco Chronicle, April, 3. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H
  9. ^ Egelko, Bob. "Imprisoned freelance journalist to be released", San Francisco Chronicle, April, 3
  10. ^ Sarah Phelan. The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H "Contemplating Wolf", San Francisco Bay Guardian, 2007-07-17. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Retrieved on 2007-07-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic.  
  11. ^ "SF: FORMERLY JAILED JOURNALIST JOSH WOLF TO RUN FOR MAYOR", Bay City News Wire, 2007-07-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Retrieved on 2007-07-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre.  
  12. ^ Josh Wolf (2007-07-04). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples I'm running for mayor. The Revolution Will Be Televised. joshwolf. net. Retrieved on 2007-07-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre.

References

External links

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