The judge in the Libby case is threatening a gag order. He's unhappy with the way both the prosecutor and the defense attorneys are suing every opportunity to try this case in the media.
U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walston did not explain exactly what provoked his pique, but he wrote in his order that "on several occasions information has been distributed to the press by counsel, which has included not only public statements, but also the dissemination of material that had not been filed on the public docket."
He complained that the parties to the case did not heed an earlier warning that he would not tolerate "this case being tried in the media," and he said such disclosures could impair the court's ability "to ensure that both sides receive a fair trial." Walton gave both sides eight days to state any objections before he imposes the gag order.
I hope he does issue the gag order. The place for a trial is in court, not in the newspapers or the blogospere.
