Gag orders issued by a court, government, or private entity require an individual to refrain from making public comments.
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Judges frequently impose injunctions prohibiting parties, witnesses, and counsel from speaking about the case outside of the courthouse.
In general, courts have ruled that gag orders on witnesses in legal proceedings are more appropriate than those imposed on the press.
What is an example gagging order?
Police departments issue gag orders to conceal the identities of victims, particularly children, and to prevent the public from learning details of current investigations where doing so would endanger the cases or the persons involved.
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Photo Credit: Newsweek
Why do people get gag orders?
Gag orders are issued by judges to guarantee a fair trial, to aid in the speedy administration of justice, and to keep damaging information from getting to the jury pool.
The right to a fair trial may be denied to defendants if prosecutors utilize the media to inform potential jurors of evidence that is improper for admission into evidence, such as the conduct of polygraph tests or their outcomes.


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