Date 07/09/02

Contact: FOIFT office, (214) 977-6658

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vanessa Leggett to Receive 2002 James Madison Award

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas will present the 2002 James Madison Award to Vanessa Leggett, Sept. 20 in Austin. The James Madison Award was created to honor individuals whose appreciation and respect for the First Amendment and open government has been demonstrated by exemplary actions, words or deeds.

On July 20, 2001, freelance writer Vanessa Leggett was found in contempt of court for failing to hand over all of her tape-recorded conversations relating to a well-publicized Houston murder case. Pushing for a clearer definition of a journalist's First Amendment right to protect confidential sources, Leggett refused to provide the tapes sought under the subpoena and in doing so was kept in federal custody for 168 days. This term is the longest any journalist has ever spent in prison for refusing to turn over information or materials relating to confidential sources.

Leggett showed great selflessness in placing the protection of the First Amendment above that of her own well being. It is for this sacrifice that the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas has chosen to honor Vanessa Leggett with its 2002 James Madison Award.

The award will be presented during the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon on Friday, September 20, at the Inter-Continental Stephen F. Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. Leggett and her attorney, Mike DeGeurin, will deliver the luncheon's keynote address. The luncheon is part of the Bernard and Audre Rapoport 2002 FOI Conference. Admittance to the John Henry Faulk Awards Luncheon is included with the conference registration fee. For more information on the conference, call (214) 977-6658, or visit www.foift.org.

The purpose of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is to encourage, sponsor and facilitate a greater appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the First Amendment. Working to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public, the FOIFT has successfully helped citizens access open meetings and documents that should be a matter of public record.

Since 1978, the Foundation's goal has been to educate media and legal professionals, educators, students, public and business officials and individual citizens about their rights and responsibilities as citizens in our democracy.

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported through grants and tax deductible donations from private citizens, corporations and foundations. For more information, call (214) 977-6658, or visit our web page, www.foift.org.

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