A judge gave two US journalists, Matthew Cooper (R) and Judith Miller, pictured in 2004, one week to reveal their sources to a grand jury probing the leak of a Central Intelligence Agency operative's identity or go to jail.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Shaun Heasley)

I know Matt Cooper (pictured above, along with Judith Miller of the New York Times) a little bit, and he’s one of the nicest guys you would ever want to meet. In a business with a lot of sharks, he’s just a pleasure—friendly, supportive, warm, generous. And funny, too: Matt has a sideline doing stand-up comedy. (Although somehow I suspect it’s been a while since he took the stage.)

But every time I see Matt now, he looks somber and stressed—not at all as I remember him. For his sake, I’m glad that this silly judicial ordeal is ending soon. I hope he’s retained his ability to laugh at the ridiculous.