CBS fought very hard on this because it believed and believes that there's a principle at stake here. The principle is that Dan Rather doesn't work for the police, and that people that speak to Dan Rather understand that he's a journalist and not a police agent.

Floyd Abrams is an American lawyer who is considered one of the preeminent First Amendment attorneys in the United States. He is known for representing major media organizations in cases involving freedom of the press, including The New York Times in the Pentagon Papers case, as well as representing individuals in cases involving freedom of speech and expression. Throughout his career, Abrams has argued numerous cases before the United States Supreme Court and has been involved in some of the most prominent First Amendment cases of the last several decades. He is currently a senior counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in New York.