Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
San Francisco Reporter Wants Police to Return Seized Property
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
May 21, 2019

Share

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco reporter is seeking the return of his property confiscated by police after officers with a sledgehammer raided his home and office amid an investigation to determine the source of a leaked police report into the death of the city’s public defender.

Officials have said the raids were “conducted as part of a criminal investigation into the illegal release of” a preliminary report into the death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi. The raids were authorized by search warrants signed by two judges.

An attorney for freelance journalist Bryan Carmody will make the request Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court, arguing that “the free flow of information to the public is jeopardized” when the government interferes with independent newsgathering.

San Francisco police have defended the May 10 raids of Carmody’s office and the house where he lives in which they seized multiple computers, cellphones and cameras.

Officials have said the raids were “conducted as part of a criminal investigation into the illegal release of” a preliminary report into the death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi. The raids were authorized by search warrants signed by two judges.

But outraged media outlets have criticized the raids as a violation of the California’s shield law, which specifically protects journalists from search warrants. The Associated Press is among dozens of news organizations siding with Carmody that are seeking to submit a friend of the court brief.

City Supervisors Scolded Police

Mayor London Breed initially defended the raids but on Sunday posted messages on Twitter saying she was “not okay” with raids on reporters. District Attorney George Gascon said he has not seen the warrants, which are sealed, but he could not imagine a situation where warrants would be appropriate.

“Seizing the entire haystack to find the needle risks violating the confidences Mr. Carmody owes to all his sources, not just the person who leaked the police report,” he said in a Monday tweet.

City supervisors scolded police for quietly releasing the report to the press, saying it was an attempt to smear the legacy of Adachi, who sparred with police. An autopsy found Adachi died suddenly Feb. 22 of a mixture of cocaine and alcohol, compromising an already bad heart.

In court documents, Carmody has said he is a veteran journalist who is often the first on the scene of breaking news. He provides video news packages to outlets in return for payment.

He sold copies of the Adachi police report along with video footage from the scene of Adachi’s death and information obtained from interviews to three news stations.

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

DON'T MISS

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

7-Year-Old Girl Was Killed by a Falling Boulder at a Lake Tahoe Ski Resort

UP NEXT

Xavier Becerra Enters 2026 California Governor’s Race

UP NEXT

Inside a $17 Billion Maintenance Backlog Plaguing California’s Universities

UP NEXT

California Lawmakers Reject Bills to Restrict Transgender Youth in School Sports

UP NEXT

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

UP NEXT

Athletics Bat Boy Stewart Thalblum Takes Down Drone in Left Field

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

4 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

4 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

4 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

5 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

5 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

6 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

6 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

6 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

6 hours ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

6 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for the Food and Drug Administration in its crackdown on sweet-flavored vaping products fo...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

3 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
4 hours ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

4 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

4 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

4 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

5 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

West Fresno satellite campus of Fresno City College
5 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend