Providence reporter sentenced to prison for failure to revea

Judge Finds Taricani Guilty Of Criminal Contempt
Reporter Faces Up To Six Months In Prison

PROVIDENCE -- A federal judge on Thursday found News Channel 10 I-Team reporter Jim Taricani guilty of criminal contempt for refusing to reveal a confidential source.


Taricani has refused to identify the source of a videotape aired on WJAR more than three years ago that purportedly shows a city official taking a cash bribe. Although the tape was subject to a protective order, the broadcast of the tape was not illegal.

The videotape was used as evidence in the corruption trial of then-Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr.

Taricani and his lawyers argued before Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres that Taricani's good-faith belief in his conduct is a defense to the criminal contempt charge.

But special prosecutor Marc DeSisto argued there did not have to be proof of absence of good faith in order for Taricani to be found guilty.

In the end, the judge said the evidence is clear, overwhelming and undisputed that Taricani violated the court order and found him guilty of criminal contempt.

"When I became a reporter 30 years ago, I never imagined that I would be put on trial and face the prospect of going to jail simply for doing my job. Today, I was tried and convicted for refusing to identify the confidential source who gave me a videotape showing corruption in City Hall. On Dec. 9, I will be sentenced, possibly to jail," Taricani said, reading from a prepared statement outside court.

"The government has used its resources and power and the threat of jail to try to coerce me to identify a confidential source. This assault on journalistic freedom exacts a high price by stifling the flow of newsworthy information to reporters and to the public," he said.

Taricani faces up to six months in prison.

NBC 10 released the following statement:

NBC 10 is profoundly disappointed by the conviction of its investigative reporter, Jim Taricani, on criminal contempt charges.

A confidential source gave Jim a videotape that showed public corruption at City Hall. He has refused to identify the source of the tape, and now may go to jail for keeping this word. Maintaining a promise of confidentiality has been critical to Jim's success as a reporter.

Throughout his 30-year career, Jim has broken stories on the mob, public corruption and crime. Many of these reports might not have seen the light of day if Jim did not have confidential sources who were willing to risk their reputations, their jobs, even their lives to come forward and provide him with important information that the public had a right to know. If Jim cannot rely upon confidential sources, the citizens of Rhode Island will be denied the hard-hitting, investigative journalism that they have come to expect from Jim over the decades of reporting in the state.

Jim Taricani, a respected journalist and heart-transplant recipient, should not be treated as a criminal for doing his job. NBC 10 has stood by him and supports his decision to not to disclose his source. No reporter should have to pay such a terribly high price for honestly and legally reporting the news.