Ex-Cheney Aide Handed Initial Victory

A ruling by a federal judge Thursday could make it easier for Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff to use classified documents in his trial in the CIA leak case.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald proposed a strict legal test that would have forced Libby to prove that his need for the records outweighed the government's need to keep them secret.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton rejected the prosecutor's proposal. When considering what classified information should be admissible at trial in Libby's defense, Walton said he'll apply the standard rules of evidence, which generally provide defendants documents that are relevant and helpful.