Media lawyer seeks lifting of Jackson case gag

A lawyer representing news organisations has asked a US appeals court to immediately lift a gag order banning those involved in the Michael Jackson child abuse case from speaking about it publicly, before today’s pre-trial hearing.

In a motion yesterday before California’s state Court of Appeals, Theodore Boutrous said the order imposed unconstitutional “prior restraint” on lawyers and potential witnesses and said it should be lifted immediately.

Boutrous noted Jackson and his lawyers had opposed the order, saying it blocked their ability to address false rumours and news reports, and that Jackson lawyer Mark Geragos remained opposed.

The order was imposed by Judge Rodney Melville, who has resisted changing its terms in the past.

At a hearing last week, he made what he said was a final change to the policy. He said lawyers wishing to respond to news reports could submit to him in writing what they wanted to release and that he would rule on whether the statements broke the gag order.

Boutrous has been pushing for months for greater public access to information in the case.

Jackson was charged by the district attorney late last year with committing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child and administering an intoxicating agent to the child. He has denied the charges.