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GREENSBORO The plaintiffs of a defamation lawsuit against The Rhinoceros Times will not have access to the notes, documents and recordings of writer Jerry Bledsoe, according to an unofficial ruling by Superior Court Judge Bradford Long.

Seth Cohen, an attorney representing The Rhinoceros Times, said Long notified him and attorney Amiel Rossabi last week he was dismissing a motion to compel Bledsoe to turn over the materials.

Rossabi represents Greensboro police Lt. Brian James and Officer Julius Fulmore, who are suing the newspaper, Bledsoe, editor John Hammer and publisher William Hammer for statements made about them in the publication of Bledsoe's investigative series on the resignation of former Greensboro police chief David Wray.

Long has yet to issue a formal order, Cohen said, but the judge cited a North Carolina general statute that grants journalists a qualified privilege against disclosure of any information obtained or prepared while doing their jobs.

"We were pleased," John Hammer said Saturday. "We thought the discovery was over broad and way out of line with what the case is about."

Cohen said the next steps in the case are up to the plaintiffs. Rossabi did not return a call requesting comment Saturday.

"The bottom line here is this is not just a victory for The Rhinoceros Times, but for all investigative journalism," Cohen said.

Contact Morgan Josey Glover at 373-7078 or morgan.josey @news-record.com