Biography
William T. "Bill" Farr was a Los Angeles newspaper reporter imprisoned for protecting confidential sources. While covering the Charles Manson trial for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he obtained information from attorneys subject to the trial judge's publicity order. After the trial, Judge Charles H. Older demanded their names and held Farr in civil contempt when he refused. Farr spent three and a half hours in jail on November 16, 1972, before obtaining a temporary release. Returned to Los Angeles County Jail on November 27, he remained confined through January 11, 1973, a stay reported as 46 days. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas ordered his release on personal recognizance while his federal habeas appeal proceeded. By then Farr was reporting for the Los Angeles Times. His case became a prominent dispute over journalists' ability to protect their sources.
