Reveal story's source or face jail, judge tells journalists

WASHINGTON - A judge yesterday gave two journalists one more week before deciding their sentence for refusing to reveal confidential sources to a grand jury investigating the leak of a covert CIA operative's name to the news media.

United States District Chief Judge Thomas Hogan told New York Times correspondent Judith Miller and Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper they were in contempt of court for refusing to testify and repeated a warning that they would serve jail time if they did not comply with court orders.

"The court issues orders that have to be obeyed if we're going to have civilised society. The time has now come to proceed," said Hogan.

The judge last year found Miller and Cooper in contempt and said they should be jailed for refusing to testify in the investigation of who leaked the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame to syndicated columnist Robert Novak in 2003. Novak revealed Plame's identity in a column.

An appeals court upheld Hogan's ruling and the Supreme Court rejected a further appeal.

Hogan said the journalists and Time Magazine, which was also found in contempt, had until today to decide whether they would comply with the order to testify. A hearing was scheduled for next Thursday to determine the sentence.

A lawyer for Time asked Hogan for time to allow the magazine to evaluate its response.

"We would like to frankly look at every single alternative and try to avoid ... this crisis and avoid journalists going to jail," said Theodore Boutrous.

Time has been asked to turn over Cooper's notes from interviews relating to the stories about Plame.

Lawyers for Cooper and Miller said they would not comply with the order to testify. Asked if he wanted Time to turn over his notes, Cooper said after the hearing, "I would rather they did not. But they have to make their own decision ... The corporation is different than a citizen. It has different obligations."

Cooper and Miller could face up to 120 days in jail.

- REUTERS