Herald: Judge Issues Partial Gag Order

Judge issues partial gag order vs. Chuck Turner, Dianne Wilkerson

By Laurel J. Sweet  |   Tuesday, March 17, 2009  |
http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics

A federal judge has slapped a partial gag order on the high-profile
public corruption case against Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner and
former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman ruled
yesterday that Turner and Wilkerson are prohibited from airing the
government’s evidence against them to outside parties such as the
media, but he won’t stop them from discussing information they learn
from “an independent source.”

Though it is what they wanted in order to protect the integrity of
their case and the identities of their witnesses, the decision fell
short of a decisive victory for the feds.

Hillman chastised U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan’s office for
releasing surveillance photographs of Wilkerson and Turner allegedly
depicting them taking bribes, saying they “may have served to ratchet
up the publicity” the two pols feel victimized by, while contributing
“little to the establishment of probable cause.”

Wrote Hillman, “The government surely anticipated that the photographs
would become front-page fodder and result in a maelstrom of
publicity.”

Turner and Wilkerson are accused of pocketing wads of cash from
undercover operatives to buy their influence.

Wilkerson agreed to comply with the gag order, but Turner objected,
arguing it gave prosecutors an unfair advantage in the court of public
opinion.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1159110