Supreme Court revives case of citizen journalist arrested for seeking information

Source: CNN

The Supreme Court on Tuesday revived the case of a citizen journalist who was arrested in 2017 for seeking information from a police department source in Laredo, Texas.

The court threw out a decision against the journalist and ordered the appeals court to look at the case again.

Priscilla Villarreal, who posts her reports on Facebook to more than 200,000 followers, was arrested under a Texas law that makes it a crime to seek non-public information with “intent to obtain a benefit.” Villarreal, whose case was later thrown out, wants to sue police and prosecutors.

Though she doesn’t work for a traditional news organization, Villarreal has a significant following in Laredo. And she now also has the backing of some of the nation’s best-known news brands, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, who are supporting her case at the Supreme Court.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/supreme-court-revives-case-citizen-135705606.html