No Gag Order For Lawyers In Zimmerman Trial
SANFORD (CBSMiami) - The judge in the murder case against George Zimmerman has rejected the request by prosecutors for a gag order prevention discussion of the case, and has ordered the release of all documents filed with the court for public inspection.
The decision, revealed in a Tuesday afternoon court filing, is a victory for journalists who objected to an earlier decision to keep records under seal, a decision they claimed was made without proper justification.
Judge Kenneth Lester said he would allow some documents to be kept out of public access, including documents related to security and document which revealed Zimmerman's current address.
Judge Lester also said attorneys could file a case-by-case motion to seal documents if they believe the law justifies it, subject to a hearing.
The judge said the idea of filing a gag order is a "drastic step", and that attorneys in the case had shown "the utmost professionalism".
"At this time, there is no demonstrated need to restrict their speech to the media," he said. However, he warned that should that change he would consider revisiting the request for the gag order.
