Nashville journalist faces jail time for refusing to reveal source of leaked trans school shooter's private writings

A Nashville journalist has been threatened with prison time if he doesn't reveal his source who leaked Audrey Hale's manifesto, the transgender Covenant school shooter who massacred three young children and three adults in a premeditated, anti-white racial attack on Christians.

Michael Patrick Leahy, editor and owner of The Tennessee Star, has been ordered to appear in court for a "show cause hearing" on Monday, June 17, to address why he should not be held in contempt for publishing the leaked documents, ZeroHedge reported. Chancellor I'Ashea Myles of Davidson County ordered his court appearance.

The Tennessee Star published the bombshell manifesto after the federal and local governments worked to block the public from seeing it, citing concerns it could be used as a roadmap for copycat school shooters in the future and there could be "unintended consequences for the segment of the population more vulnerable or open to conspiracy theories."

Daniel Horwitz, a First Amendment lawyer in Nashville hired by Leahy, filed an emergency motion to stay on Wednesday, arguing freedom of the press and state law violations. 

"With due respect to the Court, this Court's show cause order: (1) violated Tenn. Code Ann. § 24-1-208(a), Tennessee's shield law; (2) contravenes Tenessee's contempt law; (3) deprives Mr. Leahy of minimum due process guarantees; and (4) suffers from other serious constitutional infirmities," wrote Horowitz.

Horowitz contended that the judge's order was unclear in terms of the order or provisions that Leahy violated, as the judge did not specify the nature of the show cause hearing. However, the orders appear to pertain to supplemental filings and declarations in court. The lawyer questioned how Leahy could defend himself if he was unaware of the court's assessment of his actions.

Furthermore, Horowitz provided the judge with an overview of the First Amendment protections in the US Constitution, which prohibit prior restraint by the government, including courts, on publishing material. He argued that if the judge believed that her order prohibited Leahy from publishing, this would constitute prior restraint and be unconstitutional.

Horowitz then filed an emergency motion with The Court of Appeals the following day, but the higher court has not yet responded to the motion. Myles refused to rescind her order on Thursday and filed a new order that demanded a representative with the Nashville government to appear.

The judge denounced claims of First Amendment violations, per the paper, and wrote that if she determines "a leak did in fact occur by any party to this case and that such action was in violation of the Orders of this Court, or that there has been any abuse of, or unlawful interference with, the process or proceedings of the Court, or any violation as set forth in Tenessee Code, this Court may then enter an order and notice appointing an attorney as amicus curiae to the court for investigative purposes, and to initiate and prosecute a contempt citation."

Chancellor Myles has been working to uncover the source of the leaked murderer's diary, which caused a shockwave across the nation after the FBI worked diligently to prevent its release. Multiple Nashville police officers have been under investigation as potential sources of the leak, but the identity of the source has not been disclosed and Leahy is perhaps the only person who has the information the court so desperately wants.

Hale, a radical leftist who identified as transgender, entered the Covenant School on March 27, 2023, and killed three staff members and three 9-year-old students. Hale's manifesto was full of anti-white and anti-Christian hatred.