Appeals court rules against judge who blocked media from using prosecutor’s name
By Michael Kiefer | The Republic
The Arizona Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that a Maricopa County Superior Court judge erred when she barred the media from mentioning a prosecutor’s name in its coverage of a high-profile murder case — even though her name had already been used in many TV and newspaper stories
The prosecutor in question, Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Jeannette Gallagher, had asked Judge Erin Otis — a former colleague in the prosecutor’s office — to prevent the media from using her name and image because Gallagher was the victim in a stalking trial in a different courtroom, and she wanted to shield the jurors in that trial from information about Gallagher.
The Arizona Republic, joined by the Associated Press, 12 News and Channels 3 and 5, appealed the ruling in a special action to the Court of Appeals. A special action is an expedited appeal of a judge’s ruling during trial.
