The State of Louisiana subpoenaed The Reveille Friday for an e-mail the Animal Liberation Front allegedly sent the paper claiming responsibility for several thousand dollars of damage to the LSU Inhalation Toxicology Research Facility.
The e-mail states, “On the morning of Sept. 24 members of the Animal Liberation Front destroyed the Louisiana State University Inhalation Toxicology Research Facility.” It specifically mentions Arthur Penn, director of the lab, and alleges that his experiments cause animals “pain, suffering and death.”
The investigation surrounding the break-in, which occurred Wednesday morning, is ongoing. It is being investigated by the FBI and LSUPD.
According to the subpoena, the vandalism may constitute violation of “one or more statutes of Louisiana criminal law, including violations of Louisiana’s felony simple burglary law.”
Federal code also may have been violated because of a federal provision against “animal enterprise terrorism.”
When LSUPD learned of the e-mail, it immediately requested the e-mail from the Reveille. The headers of the e-mail may give investigators clues about who sent it.
When LSUPD Capt. Ricky Adams requested the e-mail, Melissa Moore, Reveille adviser, refused to remit it without a subpoena.
Moore said in effect the receipt of the e-mail made The Reveille a witness.
“The Reveille wants to be a good citizen, and part of being a good citizen is turning over evidence,” Moore said. “But I don’t want the public to believe that what they tell or send us will become police evidence for the asking.”
Moore said in this instance, maintenance of the public trust warranted refusing evidence. But she also said that had the e-mail spelled out possible imminent danger, she would have given the e-mail to the police.
Craig Freeman, a mass communication assistant professor, said The Reveille’s refusal is ethically important.
“I think there is a presumption that when people correspond with newspapers, it’s confidential,” he said.
Giving up the e-mail without a subpoena could sway public confidence in that promise of confidentiality and impair the newspaper’s ability to obtain correspondence, Freeman said.
Louis Day, a mass communication designated professor, said many news organizations refuse to cooperate with police investigations to avoid becoming an arm of the government.
“Essentially, you want to remain independent,” he said. “But there are times when a news organization has information that is absolutely crucial.”
Day declined to comment on whether The Reveille’s circumstances were crucial enough to warrant remitting the e-mail without a subpoena.