• [ network ]
  • goatmatrix.net
  • gvid.tv
  • img.gvid.tv
  • games.gvid.tv
  • apps.gvid.tv
HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

How the Feds' Subpoena of Reason and Gag Order Went Public

Views:944
@ReasonVids

You may have already heard about how the government tried to stifle Reason's free speech.

Federal prosecutors based in New York sent a grand jury subpoena and letter to Reason, commanding editors to hand over the records of six commenters who wrote hyperbolic statements about federal judge Katherine Forrest below a blog post at Reason.com. Forrest sentenced Ross Ulbricht to life in prison without parole for creating the Silk Road website.

Then came a gag order from U.S. District Court, meaning Reason could not write or speak publicly about the subpoena or gag order—even to acknowledge either existed. But between the subpoena being issued and the gag order being issued, one legal blogger managed to figure out what was going on.

"I got an email and I looked at it and I thought wow, this is a federal grand jury subpoena to Reason magazine," says Ken White, a writer at the legal blog Popehat who is himself a former federal prosecutor. White sat down with Reason TV to talk about how he broke the story and what he thinks it means for press freedom and open expression online.

"What's upsetting is that there is no indication whatsoever either that the prosecutor or the judge gave any consideration to the fact that this was being aimed at a reporting organization about a First Amendment issue," says White. What's more, White stresses that the comments named in the subpoena are commonplace for the internet and especially at Reason.com, a site, he notes, "whose clever writing is eclipsed only by the blowhard stupidity of its commenting peanut gallery."

The scrutinized comments ranged from taunts such as "I hope there is a special place in hell reserved for that horrible woman" to "Its (sic) judges like these that should be taken out back and shot," but none, say White, come close to qualifying as "true" threats or anything other idle chatter. It remains unclear why the U.S. Attorney's Office was interested in such internet fodder, how often these sorts of subpoenas get sent out to news organizations, and how often they comply. Nevertheless, White points out that federal prosecutors hold an enormous amount of power over human lives and rarely reflect on how they use—and abuse—their position.

"A fish doesn't know that it's in water," says White. "A federal prosecutor doesn't know that they are swimming in power. They could do it, so they did."

Produced by Paul Detrick. Shot by Zach Weissmueller and Justin Monticello.

Approximately 10:03.

Music is "VibeDrive" by Podington Bear, "Atlantis" by Audionautix, "How to Soothe a Digital Watch" by Ergo Phizmiz, and Unerklärliche (oder unidentifizierbare) Spiele im Kornfeld" by deef.

Watch the video above for the full interview with Novak, and scroll down for downloadable versions. Subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel for daily content like this.

reason (magazine)
,
subpoena
,
united states department of justice
,
justice department
,
doj
,
grand jury subpoena
,
lawyer (profession)
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason.tv
    Thumbnail for The TSA's 12 Signs You Might Be a Terrorist3:10
    The TSA's 12 Signs You Might Be a Terrorist
    ReasonVids
    964 views
    Thumbnail for BRITISH taxpayers are being forced to financially support Muslim freeloaders like Mohammed and his wife and their 10 children because he doesn’t want to get a job. Oh and his wife is about to give birth to their 11th child.1:11
    BRITISH taxpayers are being forced to financially support Muslim freeloaders like Mohammed and his wife and their 10 children because he doesn’t want to get a job. Oh and his wife is about to give birth to their 11th child.
    AOUisgay
    471 views
    Thumbnail for Godzilla Drop Kick | ZillaJumper0:21
    Godzilla Drop Kick | ZillaJumper
    invidious
    289 views
    Thumbnail for Futurama -The Scary Door compilation | Renato Pepe5:27
    Futurama -The Scary Door compilation | Renato Pepe
    invidious
    365 views
    Thumbnail for Cave dwellers 0:16
    Cave dwellers
    bestofupgoat
    192 views
    Thumbnail for ข่าวเป็นข่าว | 03 กุมภาพันธ์ 2568 | FULL | TOP NEWS1:53:15
    ข่าวเป็นข่าว | 03 กุมภาพันธ์ 2568 | FULL | TOP NEWS
    invidious
    137 views
    Thumbnail for The Right Engine Came Off. | The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered0:59
    The Right Engine Came Off. | The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered
    invidious
    174 views
    Thumbnail for Ross Clark - Markets, Oil. Martin Armstrong - Dow, Unrest. Robert Campbell - US Real Estate, Health | Talk Digital Network1:57:14
    Ross Clark - Markets, Oil. Martin Armstrong - Dow, Unrest. Robert Campbell - US Real Estate, Health | Talk Digital Network
    bitchute_topics
    971 views
    Thumbnail for E-Cigarettes: Second-hand Smoke, Vaping, and the Price of FDA Regulations6:23
    E-Cigarettes: Second-hand Smoke, Vaping, and the Price of FDA Regulations
    ReasonVids
    1076 views
    Thumbnail for Trump to Clinton: 'You'd be in jail' | Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV0:15
    Trump to Clinton: 'You'd be in jail' | Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV
    invidious
    347 views
    Thumbnail for This Japanese dish looks kinda disgusting…. | Japan Eat0:59
    This Japanese dish looks kinda disgusting…. | Japan Eat
    invidious
    209 views
    Thumbnail for Wigger Insults Nigger and Nigger Attacks Wigger1:25
    Wigger Insults Nigger and Nigger Attacks Wigger
    bestofvoatxyz
    876 views
    Thumbnail for Ever notice how all modern Christmas songs have a certain annoying quality to them?4:20
    Ever notice how all modern Christmas songs have a certain annoying quality to them?
    bestofupgoat
    189 views
    Thumbnail for 4/29 令和デビュー | 令和デビュー2:15:41
    4/29 令和デビュー | 令和デビュー
    invidious
    89 views
    Thumbnail for Peter Schiff on the Dismal Future of the U.S. Economy5:19
    Peter Schiff on the Dismal Future of the U.S. Economy
    ReasonVids
    980 views
    Thumbnail for Norm Macdonald — KICK THIS GUY OUT! | I’m not Norm’s son0:38
    Norm Macdonald — KICK THIS GUY OUT! | I’m not Norm’s son
    invidious
    66 views
    Thumbnail for Milwaukee Taxi Rally and Press Conference (April 16, 2013)8:19
    Milwaukee Taxi Rally and Press Conference (April 16, 2013)
    IJvids
    1071 views
    Thumbnail for The Simpsons - Chief Wiggum1:44
    The Simpsons - Chief Wiggum
    clips
    992 views
    Thumbnail for We're All Brett Kavanaugh Now5:40
    We're All Brett Kavanaugh Now
    AmericanRenaissance
    1782 views
    Thumbnail for Dating in the Atlasphere: Joshua Zader Brings Love to Ayn Rand's Fans9:59
    Dating in the Atlasphere: Joshua Zader Brings Love to Ayn Rand's Fans
    ReasonVids
    971 views
    Thumbnail for Campbell Brown on Her Fight To Get Lousy Teachers Fired5:55
    Campbell Brown on Her Fight To Get Lousy Teachers Fired
    ReasonVids
    992 views
    Thumbnail for Working At A Big City Food Bank 0:14
    Working At A Big City Food Bank
    bestofupgoat
    545 views
    Thumbnail for The Spanish Button 😅 (Animation Meme) Orig: @raxdflipnote  #shorts | Nutshell Animations0:13
    The Spanish Button 😅 (Animation Meme) Orig: @raxdflipnote #shorts | Nutshell Animations
    invidious
    277 views
    Thumbnail for Out of the mouth of babes - Show me the dumb child...0:39
    Out of the mouth of babes - Show me the dumb child...
    bestofupgoat
    145 views
    Thumbnail for ‘Apple Could Never Make Anything as Shitty as the Things I Make:’ Artist Tom Sachs17:34
    ‘Apple Could Never Make Anything as Shitty as the Things I Make:’ Artist Tom Sachs
    ReasonVids
    949 views

points

Permalink
Reply
reason (magazine)
,
subpoena
,
united states department of justice
,
justice department
,
doj
,
grand jury subpoena
,
lawyer (profession)
,
reason.com
,
reason.org
,
reason.tv
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle