ABC News subpoena quashed in sex case

A woman accused of running a high-end Washington prostitution ring cannot demand documents from ABC News as part of her defense strategy, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Deborah Palfrey provided ABC with exclusive access to her escort service's telephone records for a May segment of "20/20." After combing through those records, reporters said they traced numbers back to a Justice Department prosecutor, NASA officials and military officers. None of the officials was named in the report.

Palfrey, who says she has been unable to locate those officials herself, subpoenaed ABC to see exactly what it uncovered. She contends those clients can verify that her company was an "erotic fantasy service," not a prostitution ring.

Lawyers for the network said Palfrey was just trying to piggyback on the journalists' investigation.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson said federal rules prohibit criminal defendants from using subpoenas merely to gather facts to help prepare for trial. He threw out the subpoena.

In July, Hustler magazine discovered Sen. David Vitter's phone number among the records. The Louisiana Republican quickly apologized for a "very serious sin in my past." Vitter nearly was forced to testify about his relationship with the service, but he was spared when a judge canceled the hearing.

Palfrey also fired her third lawyer Wednesday, and Robertson said she can represent herself.