Gag Order

A gag order is a court order restricting parties, lawyers or witnesses from making public statements about a case, with sanctions for violations.

Gag orders can be narrow or broad, and they can be challenged. In high-profile matters, communications teams plan around them from the start, because a statement that seems harmless can breach the order. Related limits come from ABA Model Rule 3.6 and from the risk of tainting a jury pool.