News In Brief

Court backs N.Y. reporter shielding secret source

New York state's highest court ruled Thursday that the state's shield law protects a reporter from being forced to disclose a confidential source of a sealed grand jury report.

In a 5-to-2 ruling, the state Court of Appeals decided that a former Schenectady television newscaster did not have to identify his ''confidential source'' who told him that a sealed grand jury report had recommended the removal from office of the Rensselaer County sheriff.