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Sam Penrod ReportingA judge today ordered attorneys involved in the BYU football player rape case to stop talking to the press.
The gag order was requested by prosecutors in the case, who accused at least one of the defense attorneys of leaking what was supposed to be sealed information from the grand jury indictment.
The prosecutors came to court today, without speaking publicly to reporters, but inside court they argued that too much pre-trial publicity will make it difficult to find a jury that is not biased. Defense attorneys dispute that and say that because of what prosecutors have said and what's been reported in the news, they need to defend their clients in the press. They argued against the gag order, using a case where the US Supreme Court ruled defense attorneys have a right to counter the allegations against their clients.
Jere Reneer, Defense Attorney: "Under this case, we would have an ethical duty to counter balance the tide of that information for the benefit of our clients as far as representing them. That being stated I think a gag rule necessarily limits us when the damage has already been done."
Rhome Zabriskie, Attorney for Ibrahim Rashada: “I think it's way over reaching and unjustified and if your read our motion, it speaks for itself."
This is just the first of what will likely be many motions and legal wrangling in this case. The three players will go on trial at the end of June, but for now attorney's won't be talking about the case.
