Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina has issued a new gag order in the criminal case against Larry Nassar, who's accused of sexually assaulting multiple young women. The original gag order was issued on March 29. It was challenged in federal court by Rachael Denhollander, one of the women suing Nassar in civil court for sexual abuse. Her attorney claimed the order violated her rights. He also says Denhollander should have been given the opportunity to argue against it before it was put into effect. The federal judge Janet Neff scheduled an April 18 hearing to determine it a preliminary injunction should be issued.
Wednesday, Judge Aquilina rescinded the original order and issued a new one. It says, "It appears that those individuals and entities misunderstood the scope and intent of the Original Order," and lays out who is covered by the new one:
- any party in the criminal case
- an individual who has been named as a witness in the criminal case
- attorneys for parties to the case or witnesses
- anyone who works for a law firm representing parties to the case or witnesses
It goes on to say people covered by the new order may only share information about the case that is available in a public court file and only then if they use direct quotes and identify the document quoted. They may not comment on Nassar's guilt or innocence, the strength of the case, or the credibility of anyone else involved in the case. Nassar may only be referred to by name or as "the defendant." People covered by the order may still discuss the case with law enforcement, doctors, therapists and attorneys. They are free to discuss his civil case and other criminal cases.
We are working to find out if Judge Neff will still hod a hearing on the original order in federal court on April 18.
