District of Columbia Statutes

§ 16-4702 — Compelled disclosure prohibited.

District of Columbia § 16-4702
JurisdictionDistrict of Columbia
Title 16Particular Actions, Proceedings and Matters. [Enacted title]
Ch. 47Free Flow of Information.

This text of District of Columbia § 16-4702 (Compelled disclosure prohibited.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D.C. Code § 16-4702 (2026).

Text

Except as provided in section 16-4703 , no judicial, legislative, administrative, or other body with the power to issue a subpoena shall compel any person who is or has been employed by the news media in a news gathering or news disseminating capacity to disclose:

(1)The source of any news or information procured by the person while employed by the news media and acting in an official news gathering capacity, whether or not the source has been promised confidentiality; or
(2)Any news or information procured by the person while employed by the news media in the course of pursuing professional activities that is not itself communicated in the news media, including any:
(A)Notes;
(B)Outtakes;
(C)Photographs or photographic negatives;
(D)Video or sound tapes;
(E)Film;

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Related

In Re Special Counsel Investigation
332 F. Supp. 2d 26 (District of Columbia, 2004)
10 case citations
Lee v. United States Department of Justice
287 F. Supp. 2d 15 (District of Columbia, 2003)
8 case citations
In Re Grand Jury Subpoena, Miller
438 F.3d 1138 (D.C. Circuit, 2005)
8 case citations
Tripp v. Department of Defense
284 F. Supp. 2d 50 (District of Columbia, 2003)
7 case citations
Jankovic v. International Crisis Group
181 F. Supp. 3d 13 (District of Columbia, 2014)
1 case citations

Legislative History

Sept. 26, 1992, D.C. Law 9-156, § 2, 39 DCR 5682; July 25, 1995, D.C. Law 11-30, § 4, 42 DCR 1547

Nearby Sections

15
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Bluebook (online)
District of Columbia § 16-4702, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/dc/16-4702.