Montgomery, AL – The judge who presided over Alabama's gambling corruption retrial said he refused to issue a gag order sought by federal prosecutors because it was not the least restrictive alternative to prevent ``incendiary comments'' like occurred in the first trial.
Federal prosecutors sought the gag order at the start of the retrial in February. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued an opinion Wednesday saying he didn't grant it, but instead ordered lawyers to follow the Alabama Bar Association's rules of professional conduct when talking to the media. He said that worked well and prevented defense attorneys from making prejudicial comments about prosecution witnesses like they did in the first trial last summer.
The retrial ended a week ago with the six defendants acquitted.
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