It is within the last quarter century or thirty years. And a lot of that law has turned out to be very, very protective of the press and the public's right to know.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I think that it is important for people to understand that whether a good-guy or a bad-guy wins a case is less important than what the law is that the case results in.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I know a lot of reporters certainly will go to jail to defend confidential sources. Some have even gone to jail for an issue like this. But I can't say that's the norm.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
Here we have a situation where a defendant in a case agrees to an interview with Dan Rather. It happened to be not confidential. But it was an interview with Dan Rather.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
No other country in the world gives protection like that, but it is not absolute protection. People sometimes meet that high burden and win libel suits, and in those cases I think they ought to win.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
The government would be able to go to court with respect to newspaper articles, broadcast pieces and the like that they thought were bad or harmful or even against the government and try to block them.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I am really impressed by lawyers who write books and tell us that they never lost a case. Most lawyers who have never lost a case have not had enough hard cases. But there are very difficult cases out there.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
There are some circumstances in which the First Amendment interest comes up against another interest that is really important and in which we have to make a decision in a particular case as to which is more important.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
It is not to benefit CBS, not to benefit its reporters. On this one, the entire basis of it is this is a way to get more information, more important information to the public. And that's why so many states recognize this.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!
I really try at least to come back and answer the question as to whether that was really the best way to do that and was I really thinking straight and how did my opponents behave and how did the judges behave was needed.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Added by Lucian Velea
Comment! | Vote! | Copy!