Appeals court blocks Tensing trial judge's media restrictions

From The Enquirer A state appeals court has blocked a series of orders that restricted media access issued by the judge overseeing Ray Tensing’s retrial.

In a ruling issued Friday, the First District Court of Appeals said Judge Leslie Ghiz could not enforce the restrictions without a hearing in open court.

“In the absence of an evidentiary hearing and particularized findings,” the appeals court said, “the restrictions imposed by (Ghiz) are contrary to law.”

Among Ghiz’s orders was that a total of five reporters – including a videographer and photographer – could be in the courtroom during the trial. With at least a dozen media outlets covering the case – including the Associated Press, Reuters and The New Yorker magazine – that meant several outlets every day would not be in the courtroom.

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