Media outlets supporting Northwestern University’s fight of subpoena seeking students’ grades
By APMonday, January 11, 2010
Northwestern University fights subpoena for grades
CHICAGO — Several media outlets have filed a brief supporting Northwestern University’s fight of a subpoena seeking the grades of journalism students who believe they’ve found an innocent man in prison.
Students contend prosecutors put the wrong man behind bars for a 1978 murder. But prosecutors say students may have been motivated to find evidence of Anthony McKinney’s innocence to get better grades and filed a subpoena seeking their grades.
Northwestern attorneys filed a brief in Cook County Circuit Court on Monday asking a judge to throw out the subpoena.
The Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times were among media outlets arguing that student journalists are entitled to the same protections as working reporters.
