Why is Josh in Jail?

Josh Wolf, independent videographer and free-lance journalist, is currently in "coercive custody" at the Federal Detention Facility in Dublin, California. He is not charged with any crime. He is not serving any sentence.

The United States has jailed him in the hopes of "coercing" him to give a Federal Grand Jury a tape, which he already has stipulated does not contain footage of the specific event the Grand Jury claims to be interested in. He has offered to let the judge in the case review the tape to verify his stipulation. This is apparently not good enough. It is unclear what the Grand Jury is looking for.

Josh feels the jury wants to use his tape to conduct a fishing expedition, seeking to identify political dissidents, protesters, and anarchists. Having covered protests for several years now, Josh enjoys a level of trust with participants which allows him an access denied to other journalists. The grand jury's desire to pick through his outtakes represents a severe threat to that access and is in violation of the California Shield Law intended to allow journalists to protect their sources.

The Published Video

Click here or on the image above to watch the published version of the video. This was featured on Josh's vlog shortly after the protest and was subsequently used by the the major television networks as part of their news coverage.

What the Grand Jury wants is the raw footage from which this was compiled, although there is essentially nothing of reasonable interest in this footage. Josh feels that the government's asking for it is equivalent to making him a surveillance device.

What Others Have Said About this Case

He [Wolf] may not have the clout or journalism credentials of some of the other government targets, but Josh Wolf is no less entitled to First Amendment protection. Each day he remains incarcerated represents another small dent in this nation's basic freedoms.
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial 8/06
More quotes

When journalists like Josh Wolf are put in jail, journalism and the public's right to know suffer. An independent press needs a Federal shield law to protect journalists like Josh.
Judith Miller, Journalist

This is a direct assault on the integrity of our free press by an overly aggressive administration, and I am deeply concerned that these actions could have a dramatic and chilling effect on our country's journalistic integrity.
Assemblyman Mark Leno (D. San Francisco)