United States v. Wood
The Reporters Committee wrote a letter to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia to express its concern regarding statements made during the closing arguments in the prosecution of Alexei Wood. Wood live-streamed the January 20, 2017 Inauguration Day protest in Washington, DC, and was arrested and charged with various crimes stemming from his presence at the protest. He was acquitted on December 21, 2017. During closing arguments, the Assistant United States Attorney argued that Wood could not be an “up-and-coming journalist” because of Wood’s familiarity with certain terms like “black bloc” and “kettle” and commented on Wood’s “fake press badge.” The Reporters Committee’s letter emphasized that newsgatherers must be familiar with the subject matter they cover, including its terminology, and that reporters are not required to have a press pass to cover a protest on public streets.