Judgment Delayed In Cuccinelli's UVA Climate Witch-Hunt

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that a ruling has been delayed in a case regarding Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's demand for all documents and emails from the University of Virginia involving climate researcher Michael Mann, who worked at the university from 1999 to 2005. Albemarle County Circuit Court judge Paul Peatross announced this afternoon that he would make a decision on the case within 10 days.

UVA administrators have strongly opposed the Attorney General's subpoena on the basis that it puts a "severe chill on academic freedom and scientific debate." Four organizations have also filed briefs in support of the UVA position. They are: ACLU of Virginia, the American Association of University Professors, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Albemarle County-based Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression. Students, faculty, and alumni held a small rally on campus this afternoon to protest the case.