Reporter ordered to testify about crash interview

The family of three victims filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state of Nevada, the Nevada Highway Patrol and a towing company.

A discovery commissioner and a district judge initially ruled Review-Journal reporter Glenn Puit did not have to testify in depositions about comments made to him by former Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Steve Harney.

Records showed the pickup's driver, who was blamed in the collision that killed him and the four others, had regained his driver's license weeks before the accident. Michael Estrada had lost his license following a 1994 drunken driving conviction.

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers reported finding an intoxicated Estrada several hours before the crash sitting a distance away from his truck.

Harney told Puit that Estrada "was asked who was driving the truck, and he said a friend was but that the friend had just left." Harney told Puit that troopers were suspicious but could not arrest Estrada on a drunken driving charge because the keys to the vehicle were not in Estrada's possession.

Harney, during depositions for the lawsuit, said he could not remember statements made to Puit, and Harney deferred questions to the reporter, whom attorneys for the family tried to depose.

Puit, citing Nevada's shield law protecting journalists, refused to answer questions.

Puit's attorney, Kevin Doty, argued the shield law said no reporter "may be required to disclose any published or unpublished information" obtained in the news gathering process.

The plaintiffs argued the news shield privilege was waived because Puit was not protecting sources, but rather identifying them and quoting them directly.

Doty said an appeal would be made.

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