Jim DeRogatis, the reporter and critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, has sent a letter to his cross-town rival, the Chicago Tribune, for encapsulating his refusal to testify in the R. Kelly case as merely taking the Fifth. The letter’s full text:

While the Tribune blog correctly reports my reluctant appearance at the R.
Kelly trial yesterday, today’s print edition does not.

According to the subhed, “Sun-Times music critic cites 5th Amendment to
avoid testimony,” while reporters Stacy St. Clair and Kayce T. Ataiyero
write, “DeRogatis invoked his 5th Amendment right against
self-incrimination.”

Taking the stand only on the threat of imprisonment, 15 times I invoked all
of my protections, clearly emphasizing the ones that most matter to me and
all journalists in this state:

“I respectfully decline to answer the question on the advice of counsel, on
the grounds that to do so would contravene the reporter’s privilege, the
special witness doctrine, my rights under the Illinois Constitution, and
the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution.”

Judge Gaughan may have chosen to ignore every other protection but the
Fifth, but I invoked them all and would never have separated them. Mr.
Dunn, who recently represented the Tribune before this judge on a First
Amendment matter, eloquently and passionately argued that I was only taking
the Fifth because this judge made it necessary by ignoring the First. And
that assault on our most sacred of journalistic protections is on appeal.

A legal attack on any journalist’s rights is an attack on all of us. I
would have expected better of the Tribune in reporting the Sun-Times’
attempt to stand strong against this unjust and deeply troubling assault.

Sincerely,

Jim DeRogatis
Pop Music Critic
Chicago Sun-Times

Lots of fun ironies here: The Trib is the home of DeRogatis’s radio partner, critic Greg Kot. Also, the Trib online went out of its way the other day to describe DeRogatis as a “renowned music critic.”

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Josh Levin’s newest Slate post on the trial is here.

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Meanwhile, the Tribune has a new story taking a look at how the jury is holding up, now that the prosecution has rested its case, and the defense has begun:

Most juries feel a special connection with trial judges. This particular group certainly has embraced Cook County Judge Vincent Vaughan, laughing at all his jokes and shooting him approving looks when he lashes out at the attorneys for wasting time.

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The Daily Swarm is also following the R. Kelly case closely.

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Slate’s ongoing coverage is here.

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Disclosure: Hitsville is an old friend of Jim DeRogatis; we started the radio show “Sound Opinions” together.

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Earlier in Hitsville:

Everything you need to know about the R. Kelly case

R. Kelly Sexfacts™ IV: The Quantum of Solace! The complete prosecution case!

The Godfather Who Shagged Me: The complete R. Kelly SexFacts™, Parts I, II & III—Every barfy thing you ever wanted to know about the origins of the R. Kelly case

Targeting Jim DeRogatis—literally

More on L’affaire DeRogatis

The DeRogatis ruling

Bad craziness at the R. Kelly trial?

At the R. Kelly trial, they do things they don’t do on Broadway!

Ever hear the one about the guy convicted of murdering his parents who asked for mercy because he was a orphan?

The NYT and R. Kelly: Curiouser and curiouser

The NYT finally notices R. Kelly isn’t a nice guy

R. Kelly and the NYT: The Freaky Defense

Tribune, Sun-Times protest closed hearings in R. Kelly case

Secret hearings in the R. Kelly case

R. Kelly’s Publicist: He slept with my daughter!