Appeals court throws out Roger Stone’s effort to fight gag order
A panel of federal appeals court judges dismissed Roger Stone’s effort to free himself of a gag order imposing a blanket ban on using social media during his criminal trial over charges of obstructing and lying to special counsel investigators.
The three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that Stone did not have standing to petition the court because he had not exhausted other avenues of appealing the gag order.
{mosads}Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the D.C. District Court, an Obama appointee, had repeatedly revised her order that Stone not discuss his case or special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation while his case was ongoing.
Jackson broadened the gag order in February after Stone posted an Instagram picture of her face next to what looked like crosshairs and accused her of being politically biased against him.
Stone later apologized and said it was not his intention to threaten her.
The judge ordered Stone not to discuss the case in any medium, including on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
But after he repeatedly defied the gag order with social media posts and in interviews with reporters, Jackson again expanded her order in July to include a blanket ban against using any social media whatsoever.
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