California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from Priestly v. Superior Court in and for City and County of San Francisco, 319 P.2d 796 (Cal. App. 1957):
'It is clear that the public interest would suffer if the disclosure were compelled of the names of those citizens who inform public officers of violations of law and who assist such officers in the performance of their duty to apprehend law violators. A citizen who knows that the fact would be made public that he has disclosed such information to public officers may be loath to cooperate in the administration of justice by exercising his right and duty to make such disclosures because he would justifiably believe himself to be in danger of physical violence from those upon whom he has informed, as well as in danger of actions of slander and malicious prosecution.' People v. Gonzales, supra, 136 Cal.App.2d at page 441, 28 P.2d at page 590.
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