Because a Fox News reporter refuses to disclose the identity of a confidential news source in one of the biggest criminal cases in the country, she now faces jail time.

Soon after the July 20 Aurora, Colo., movie theater massacre that left 12 dead and 58 injured, veteran Fox journalist Jana Winter broke the story that prior to James Holmes’s shooting spree, Holmes had sent a package to a University of Colorado psychiatrist. That package contained a notebook “full of details about how he was going to kill people,” according to one of her sources as Fox reported.

The Fox report continues:

Winter’s story cited unnamed law enforcement sources and drew an immediate reaction from Holmes’ attorneys. They accused the government of violating various gag orders that Arapahoe County District Court Judge William Sylvester had issued in the days following the shooting and asserted that the disclosures violated Holmes’ right to a fair trial.  Further, they sought the judge’s help in hunting down and punishing the sources of the story.

Keep in mind also, there is no question but that Holmes committed the act that stunned a nation. That he walked into that midnight showing of a Batman film loaded for bear and opened fire is not at issue.

The Court trying Holmes now demands that Winter reveal her sources, placing  her squarely on the horns of a dilemma. 

If she gives up her sources, she’ll never be trusted by another confidential informant again and she loses her usefulness as an effective reporter.

If she keeps her word to the informants and doesn’t reveal their identities to the court, she goes to jail.

If you were Winters, what would you do? If you were the judge, how would you decide?

If you support Winter, Fox News asks that you tweet with this hashtag: #LeaveJanaAlone

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