SelectiveReadingsinEnglishPrintNewsMediaUnit1CourtingtroubleAnAmericantrialisdrawingnearerforJulianAssangeExtraditionandWikiLeaksDec16th2010|fromPRINTEDITIONofTheEconomistASTHEfrissons1oftheWikiLeaksdisclosures2fade3andcyberwars4betweenitsfoesandfans5sputterandflare6,legalquestionsarebecomingcentral:howcanAmericabringthesite’sfounder,JulianAssange,tocourt.Theanswertothatmayliein7Britain,whereMrAssangeisbattlinganextradition8requestfromSwedishprosecutors9whowanttoquestionhimonsexual-assault10charges.ExtraditionfromBritaintoSwedenisnormallyaformality11,thoughMrAssange’slawyersarguethat“ulteriormotives”12areatwork.OnDecember14thacourtinLondonadjourned13thehearinguntilJanuary11th.ItalsograntedMrAssangebail14;oddly,theBritish(notSwedish)authoritiesappealedagainstthat.Thishelpsstoke15fearsamongMrAssange’ssupportersthattheSwedishcaseisjustaruse16tokeephimbehindbars17pending18eventualextraditiontoAmerica.SomereportssaythatanAmericangrandjuryhasalreadybeensecretlyswornin19.ProsecutorsseemtobefocusingonMrAssange’sinvolvementinenablingtheleakingofsecrets,ratherthanintheirpublication.Thatmayseemafinedistinction.ButitwouldavoidhavingtoprosecutetheNewYorkTimes.MrAssangemaybevulnerable20underthe1917EspionageAct,whichpunishesleaksinvolving,andinjuring,America’s“nationaldefence”.TheStateDepartmentwarnedhiminwritingonNovember27ththattheleakswouldharmmilitaryoperations.WikiLeaksisnowtryinghardtoportray21itselfasajournalisticorganisation,inordertobenefitfromthefirstamendment’sprotectionofthepressandfreespeech.Thatwascrucial22inthe1971“PentagonPapers”case,whenaSupremeCourtdecisionupheldtheNewYorkTimes’srighttopublishsecretmaterial.However,LeonardOrlandoftheUniversityofConnecticutnotesthatoneofthejudges’opinionsdistinguishedbetweenillegal“priorrestraint”andlegitimate23prosecutionafterpublication.Hesaysthemorerelevantprecedent24isUnitedStatesvMorison,whenthedefendantwasconvictedforleakingphotographsofSovietnavalconstructiontoaBritishmagazine.SoachargeagainstMrAssangeispossibl