BOISE, ID – The Idaho Supreme Court has denied a petition signed by multiple media outlets, including KXLY, to remove the gag order in the murders of four University of Idaho students in mid-November. As a result, the gag order will remain in place. The order was issued earlier this year which prohibited law enforcement and involved attorneys from releasing information related to the stabbing murders of housemates Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin.
After an investigation, law enforcement arrested former Washington State University graduate student, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, on December 30th at his parent’s home in Pennsylvania. He remains in the Latah County Jail on four counts of 1st-Degree Murder. A preliminary hearing is set for June 26th.
According to KXLY, a large contingent of media organizations, including KXLY, challenged the gag order in the case, saying it is overbroad and violates the involved parties First Amendment rights by not allowing them to give any information about the case outside of the courtroom.
The judge’s order, filed in January, says “any interested party in this case” can not make “extrajudicial statements”, meaning any statements outside of court proceedings, the Spokane television station reports.
In their opinion, the court ruled that while the media outlets, aka petitioners, named on the case have standing, they say “By failing to pursue a remedy from the magistrate court before pursuing an extraordinary remedy from this Court, Petitioners have forgotten that we are “the court of last resort in Idaho”—not the court of first resort.”
CLICK HERE to see the full ruling from Idaho Supreme Court.
For all coverage related to the University of Idaho murders from KXLY, click here.
