Post Scripts: Some secrets need to remain secret

Many people will likely pass over the news story involving Vanessa Leggett. Leggett is not a criminal, and hasn’t been tried and found guilty of anything, but she is such a threat to society she’s been in jail since July 20. Her crime is that she’s behaving like a newspaper gal.

She’s in jail because she tried to follow the best traditions of American journalism by running down valuable information she hoped she could pass along to the public in print. As a result she somehow aroused the ire of government lawyers who are angry she refused to serve as an unpaid criminal investigator.

Leggett, at age 33, is a part-time writing instructor at the University of Houston, in its downtown branch. She has not yet been successful in the writing profession herself, although she’s tried hard to get something published. Her current project, to get a book published about a murder case, remains in limbo.

In 1997, Doris Angleton, the wife of a wealthy bookmaker, was shot to death in her Houston home. Her husband, Robert, and his brother, Roger, were charged with the crime. Leggett became interested in the incident and managed to interview Roger in his jail cell. Before he could be put to trial, Roger greatly complicated the case by writing a letter absolving his brother — and then killing himself.

Robert Angleton was tried and acquitted. Last year the FBI began investigating him and also interviewed Leggett who answered questions but refused to divulge what she considered confidential information. So the Feds subpoenaed her notes for a grand jury investigation. She refused to give them up so a judge held her in contempt and put her in jail. A couple of weeks ago a higher court upheld the order. If she doesn’t change her mind, Leggett could spend the rest of the next 17 months in jail, until the grand jury’s term expires.

She is not the first journalist to uncover information that could help police. Reporters across the U.S. spend part of every day trying to obtain information about law-breaking, and they do uncover data of value to law enforcement agencies. Most of the time government agencies respect the right of the press to do its job because they know a lot of people will talk in confidence to reporters who otherwise would keep quiet if they knew their identity would be disclosed.

In this instance, however prosecutors say Leggett is not a reporter; hasn’t had anything published and no book contract. Golly, all writers have to start somewhere. Who can deny that Leggett’s motive was to gather information for public consumption? Law enforcement officials should not have a right to demand her materials any more than if they went into a courtroom and removed an armful of files.

Since Leggett does not work for a major newspaper, or tv network, officials feel free to harass her. Prosecutors seldom pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel, so to speak. Leggett, without resources to fight back, is an inviting target. The U.S. Attorney insists a grand jury is entitled to anybody’s testimony. But there are limits. We don’t hound attorneys to tell us what clients tell them nor do we expect priests to tell what they hear in a confessional.

Where is the logic for Leggett? Some secrets need to remain secret. She knows that. Isn’t it time the Justice Department understands?