Metro columnist Jim DeFede said he taped a phone conversation with Art Teele
hours before the politician shot himself. Executives said they fired DeFede
because taping is illegal without consent.

BY JAY WEAVER

The Herald fired columnist Jim DeFede Wednesday because he tape-recorded a
phone conversation with Arthur E. Teele Jr. without his knowledge.

Teele had killed himself in The Herald's lobby earlier in the day without ever
knowing that the columnist recorded their conversation.

Both Publisher Jesús Díaz Jr. and Executive Editor Tom Fiedler said they fired
the popular Metro writer because it is illegal for anyone to tape a
conversation with another person without that individual's consent in Florida.

DeFede told them that during his interview with Teele, he turned on a tape
machine to record his conversation as the politician confided in him about his
public corruption charges, financial problems and other sensitive issues,
according to Díaz.

At one point, Teele told the columnist that he was not speaking on the record -
- but DeFede continued to record him anyway without his knowledge, Díaz said.

Díaz said that The Herald had no choice but to dismiss DeFede because his
conduct was potentially a felony crime and unethical.

''With all of our sources, we have to treat them with respect and dignity,''
Díaz said. ``I don't think we did that in this situation.''

''The public's trust is at stake as a result of Jim's actions,'' Díaz said.
``We have to make sure that the public understands that trust is the most
important value that the community bestows upon us.''

Fiedler, who was in San Jose, Calif., at The Herald's parent company, Knight
Ridder, said the decision to fire DeFede was difficult.

''Jim has been a strong and valued voice at The Miami Herald and his departure
will leave a significant void,'' Fiedler said in a statement. ``I am
personally heartsick about this. But we must hold ourselves to the highest
standard of integrity if we are to maintain the trust of our readers and those
with whom we deal.''

Herald editors decided not to publish DeFede's column based on his interview
with Teele because it was obtained under possibly illegal circumstances.

DeFede, a Herald columnist since June 2002 who had previously worked at the
Miami New Times, stunned colleagues with the news of his firing as editors
were editing the final Teele stories for Thursday's paper.

''As Teele was becoming unglued [on the phone], I turned on a tape recorder
because I could tell that he was distraught and bouncing off the walls,''
DeFede told more than a dozen staffers in the newsroom. ``I made an illegal
tape and the company decided to fire me.''

DeFede, who did not want to comment further, issued a prepared statement:

''In a tense situation I made a mistake,'' he said. ``The Miami Herald
executives only learned about it because I came to them and admitted it.

``I told them I was willing to accept a suspension and apologize both to the
newsroom and our readers. Unfortunately, The Herald decided on the death
penalty instead.''

DeFede had covered Teele for more than a decade. When Teele was arrested for
allegedly threatening undercover police officers who were tailing him and his
wife, DeFede wrote a column saying the charges should never have been filed.