Judge: Northwestern University Students Must Hand Over E-mails from Innocence Project

More than 500 e-mails detailing efforts by Northwestern University journalism students to free a man serving a life sentence must be turned over to prosecutors, a Chicago judge ruled.

The e-mails are communications between former Northwestern University professor David Protess and students at the Medill School of Journalism. Cook County Judge Diane Cannon ruled that the students were "acting as investigators in a criminal proceeding," and Judge Cannon said that makes the information "subject to the rules of discovery." Northwestern, however, has resisted handing over the e-mails, arguing that the information is protected under the Illinois Reporter's Privilege Act. Protess says his students never interacted with attorneys and reporting decisions were made at Medill. He says the real issue is that an innocent man has been behind bars. The school has 10 days to appeal.