A Question of First Amendment Rights

By: Amanda Fakhreddine

On February 25th a court hearing was held regarding a motion for a protective order to keep Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner from speaking with the media about bribe accusations held against him. In various television interviews Turner had spoken openly about the accusations, a fact that prosecutor John McNeil argued made it difficult for jurors to remain unbiased and unexposed. McNeil argued that the motion was not for a gag order and that Turner could still speak independently of the case; the order would simply keep further information from Turner out of the public realm before trial. Barry Wilson, Turner's defense attorney argued that this went against Turner's First Amendment rights.