New York Court of Appeals
In the Matter of Richard Beach, Appellant v. Donald J. Shanley, as Special District Attorney of Rensselaer County…
May 10, 198462 N.Y.2d 241
Summary
The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division and granted the reporter’s motion to quash the grand jury subpoena, holding that the State’s Shield Law provides an absolute privilege protecting journalists from compelled disclosure of sources or news, even when the information may involve criminal conduct, and that the statute is constitutionally valid despite the grand‑jury protection in Article I §6. The court declined to decide the broader constitutional free‑press claim, resolving the case on the statutory ground.