Idaho Judge Shoots Down Request to Release Gag Order on Murder Case

After roughly two dozen news organizations requested to lift a gag order involved with the case of a man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students, an Idaho judge has denied the plea. Instead, the judge narrowed the gag order in response to these requests. On Friday, 2nd District Judge John Judge said that the gag order was “arguably overboard and vague in some areas.” The gag order now prevents attorneys, law enforcement officers, and other people related to the case from speaking to the press in an effort to preserve Bryan Kohberger’s right to a fair trial. A group of 30 news organizations, including The Associated Press, requested the Idaho Supreme Court reject the gag order, claiming it violates the First Amendment rights to a free press. “This Court has long respected the media’s role in our constitutional republic, and honored the promises in both the Idaho Constitution and First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Justice Gregory Moeller wrote in the high court’s decision.