San Diego

A judge told two KGTV (Channel 10) reporters Wednesday that he would put them both in jail today unless they answer questions about a broadcast report they did on accused killer David Lucas.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Franklin Orfield gave J.W. August and Steve Fiorina time to think about their refusal to answer questions by Lucas’ attorneys before the newsmen return to court today.

But both August and Fiorina told reporters after the hearing that they didn’t believe they would change their minds and answer questions about their sources.

“We’re doing what we think is right,” Fiorina said.

Both were found in contempt of court Feb. 10 and appealed Orfield’s ruling, but it was upheld.

Lucas, 31, of Spring Valley, is scheduled for trial starting today in the 1979 slayings of Suzanne Jacobs, 31, and her 3-year-old son, Colin, of Normal Heights, and in the 1981 killing of Gayle Garcia, 30, of Spring Valley.

A Dec. 1 trial date has been set for Lucas for the 1984 killings of Anne Swanke, 22, of San Carlos, and Rhonda Strang, 24, and Amber Fisher, 3, both of Lakeside. Lucas is also charged with trying to kill Jodie Santiago, 30, of Seattle, the only known survivor of the throat-slashing series.

August and Fiorina declined to answer questions about whether they had talked with sheriff’s deputies or detectives concerning an unusual telephone call August received June 10, 1984, at the station about Santiago.

August testified that an anonymous woman told him that “a murderer” lived at Lucas’ address the day after Santiago was found nearly dead in Spring Valley. August wrote the address down and accidentally gave it to Fiorina, who went out to Lucas’ house thinking it was the address of a paramedic.

The matter was dropped until after Lucas’ arrest on Dec. 16, 1984, when Fiorina recalled going out to his house. The station aired a segment on the coincidences.

A third journalist, Lorraine Kimel of KFMB-TV (Channel 8), also was questioned by Lucas’ attorneys about her Dec. 18, 1984, story on Lucas’ arrest, but she did not refuse to answer.

Attorneys quizzed her as to why she said Lucas was a suspect “for some time, long before the murder of Anne Swanke.”

“I can’t remember specifically. It’s been two years. There were a lot of people in the sheriff’s office I talked to. I simply cannot remember who gave me that impression,” Kimel testified.

“I’ve probably covered over 500 stories since December, 1984,” she said.