Farber case

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 9

Farber case

(NZPA-Reuter New York An American journalist, jailed for refusing to hand over his notes in a murder case, has had his case referred to the New Jersey State Supreme Court, The New Jersey AttorneyGeneral (Mr John Degnan) has taken the case to the Supreme Court three weeks after a “New York Times” reporter, Myron Farber, was jailed for refusing to surrender his notes in what was called the “Doctor X” murder case. He was sent to prison for contempt of Court. Farber wrote articles two

kJ years ago about a man he (called “Doctor X” which led to the indictment of Dr 1 Mario Jascalevich for a; • series of murders in a hospi- ’ ■ tai in the mid-19605. ' Farber says his notes were protected by freedom of speech provisions in the i United States Constitution and by a New Jersey State i law protecting reporters ’ from revealing their sources. He says he cannot give up ■ his notes because it would s violate the confidentiality he ’ promised his sources. He ! says the notes would prove Dr Jascalevich neither guilty ■ nor innocent.