TV News Challenges Gag Order

By Kleinheider Posted on July 5, 2008 at 11:47 pm

Tom Wood breaks the story of Newschannel 5’s constitutional challenge to a gag order issued to witnesses testifying in the John Ford trial. One of the those witnesses happens to be investigative reporter Phil Williams:

The TV station and Williams filed suit late Thursday in federal court, raising a constitutional objection to the gag order. “To the extent that the court’s order restricts Mr, Williams and/or NewsChannel 5 from reporting on this trial, it is a ‘prior restraint’ of the free speech and free press that is impermissible under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” they charged.

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Tags: gag order, John Ford, NewsChannel5, Phil Williams