In the courtroom trials of former President Donald Trump, those two very well-known words “gag” and “order” are being heard and read as one word: “gag-order.”  Trump is accused by federal prosecutors of election interference and accused by judges of trying to sway jurors. While in Chicago, there’s the trial of former Alderman Ed Burke, accused of bribery and attempted extortion. In that trial, it seems to me, there’s been reason, good reason, for gag-orders on the Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times to prevent them from trying to sway jurors. All during the Burke trial – for two months – the newspapers printed stories of bad behavior by Burke, stories featuring anonymous descriptions of Burke as “corrupt and untouchable.” Gag-orders are for protecting the fairness of a trial by preventing free-speaking litigants from supporting or disparaging a defendant. I think the only way the Burke trial could have been as fair as it was supposed to have been would have been the judge gag-ordering some of that newspaper reporting. So, I believe it’s fair for me to say, “Cheers for gag-ordering.”

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: